Game Winner among notable workers

ARCADIA, Calif. – Game Winner, the champion 2-year-old male of 2018, worked a half-mile in 49.20 seconds on Wednesday at Santa Anita, his second workout of the year.

Unraced since an impressive win in the Grade 3 Los Alamitos Derby last July, Game Winner was rested last fall before returning to trainer Bob Baffert’s stable. Owned by Gary and Mary West, Game Winner is expected to return to racing in the spring.

Game Winner was the most prominent worker on a morning when several notable 3-year-olds were active.

Eight Rings, winner of the Grade 1 American Pharoah Stakes in September for Baffert, worked six furlongs in 1:13.60. Eight Rings has not raced since a sixth-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile on Nov. 1. Eight Rings has had three workouts this year, all in February.

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Donna Veloce, second in the BC Juvenile Fillies and the Grade 1 Starlet Stakes at Los Alamitos in December, worked five furlongs for a scheduled start in the Grade 3 Santa Ysabel Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles on March 8.

Donna Veloce is trained by Simon Callaghan, who is considering the Grade 3 Sunland Park Derby on March 22 for the maiden race winner Great Power. Wednesday, Great Power worked five furlongs in 1:00.60.

“That was encouraging,” Callaghan said.

Great Power has not raced since a win in a maiden special weight race at 6 1/2 furlongs in his debut last September.

Encoder getting time off

The $100,000 Pasadena Stakes for 3-year-olds at a mile on turf on Saturday will have a solid field, even without the presence of two-time stakes winner Encoder.

Encoder won the Del Mar Juvenile Turf last September and the Eddie Logan Stakes on turf in December, but was fifth in his main-track debut in the Grade 3 Robert Lewis Stakes on Feb. 1. Trainer John Sadler said Wednesday that Encoder is not in training.

“I’ll give him time off,” Sadler said.

Sadler said Encoder will be pointed to the Del Mar summer meeting that begins July 18.

The Pasadena Stakes has a projected field of nine, including stakes winners Club Aspen and Smooth Like Strait and the stakes-placed runners Goliad, Hariboux, Last Opportunity, Liar Liar, and Rager.