Game Winner, Bellafina among Saturday workers at Del Mar
DEL MAR, Calif. - Game Winner, the champion 2-year-old male of 2018, worked a half-mile in 48 seconds at Del Mar on Saturday, his first major exercise since an easy win in the Grade 3 Los Alamitos Derby on July 13.
Game Winner is scheduled to start in the Grade 1 Travers Stakes at Saratoga on Aug. 24.
Game Winner won the Los Alamitos Derby by five lengths in his first start since a sixth-place finish in the Kentucky Derby on May 4. Game Winner was promoted to fifth when Maximum Security was disqualified from first to 17th for causing interference on the final turn.
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Game Winner’s workout time was the second-fastest of 80 works at the distance on Saturday.
“He worked unbelievable,” trainer Bob Baffert said. “He looked really good.”
Owned by Gary and Mary West, Game Winner has won 5 of 8 starts and earned $2,027,500.
There were 196 workouts at Del Mar on Saturday, including by the 3-year-old filly Bellafina and several 2-year-olds approaching stakes races.
Bellafina, a six-time graded stakes winner, worked a half-mile in 48.40 seconds for the Grade 1 Test Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Saratoga on Aug. 3.
Bellafina is trained by Simon Callaghan, who will have a busy day nationwide on Aug. 3. At Del Mar that afternoon, Callaghan has two starters in the Grade 2 Sorrento Stakes for 2-year-old fillies at six furlongs – Amalfi Sunrise and Shedaresthedevil.
Amalfi Sunrise worked a half-mile in 48.40 seconds on Saturday. She won her only start, a maiden special weight race at 4 1/2 furlongs, by 6 1/4 lengths at Santa Anita on June 23.
Callaghan recently acquired Shedaresthedevil, the winner of a maiden special weight race at 5 1/2 furlongs at Churchill Downs on June 13 in her debut when trained by Norm Casse.
Saturday, Shedaresthedevil worked a half-mile in 51.20 seconds. She has been purchased by Qatar Racing since her last start.
Comical, the undefeated winner of the Grade 3 Schuylerville Stakes at Saratoga on July 11, worked a half-mile in 48.20 seconds. Trainer Doug O’Neill said a decision will be made this weekend whether Comical starts in the Sorrento or is held out of that race in favor of the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante at seven furlongs on Aug. 31.
O’Neill also worked Fore Left, the unbeaten winner of the Grade 3 Tremont Stakes for 2-year-olds at Belmont Park on June 7. Saturday, Fore Left worked five furlongs in 1:01.80 for a scheduled appearance in the Grade 2 Best Pal Stakes at six furlongs on Aug. 10.
