Triple Crown winner Justify had been gone less than three weeks when the next potential star in trainer Bob Baffert’s stable showed himself the afternoon of Aug. 18 at Del Mar. That was the day a colt named Game Winner rolled to a 5 3/4-length victory in his career debut, one that caught even Baffert a bit by surprise. “I didn’t think he could win his first out because he didn’t have a lot of speed away from the gate, but he finished really well,” said Baffert, who trains Game Winner for Gary and Mary West. “I remember telling Gary he might not win first out but I think he’s a nice horse.” Game Winner not only won first his out, but he also won his second, third, and fourth time out – all Grade 1 stakes – capped by a 2 1/4-length score in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. The victory in the Breeders’ Cup as well as in the Del Mar Futurity and American Pharoah made Game Winner a finalist for the Eclipse Award as North America’s champion 2-year-old male. Twenty-six of the previous 34 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winners won the Eclipse Award. :: 2018 Eclipse Finalists: Profiles and photos for all categories Game Winner would join American Pharoah (2014), Lookin At Lucky (2009), Midshipman (2008), and Vindication (2002) as champion 2-year-old males trained by Baffert. While the Triple Crown that Justify won consisted of three races in five weeks, Game Winner won his first three races in six weeks. Sixteen days after his maiden win, Game Winner took the Del Mar Futurity. Twenty-six days later, he galloped to a 4 1/2-length score in the American Pharoah, his first start around two turns. “He’s tough and the races didn’t stir him up a lot,” Baffert said. “A lot of times you run them right back and it stirs them up. It didn’t affect him at all.” Baffert said that of all the races at the Breeders’ Cup at Churchill Downs, the one he wanted to win the most was the Juvenile. Ridden in the Juvenile by Joel Rosario, Game Winner was four wide throughout and then bumped with Knicks Go in midstretch, but was able to draw away in the final furlong to the impressive score. “I would have been really disappointed if he had gotten beat,” Baffert said. “That was the one I wanted badly because I knew how good a horse he was.” Game Winner is a son of Candy Ride and the A.P. Indy mare Indyan Giving bred by Summer Wind Equine. He was purchased for $110,000 at the 2017 Keeneland September yearling sale. Baffert said he backed off Game Winner for a few weeks after the Breeders’ Cup. Baffert said that Game Winner, who occupies the same stall Justify did at Santa Anita, will begin breezing at some point in January with his 3-year-old debut likely to come in March at either Santa Anita or Oaklawn Park.