Game Winner will be heavy favorite in Los Alamitos Derby

CYPRESS, Calif. – Game Winner, the champion 2-year-old male of 2018, is expected to have his first start since the Kentucky Derby in Saturday’s Grade 3 Los Alamitos Derby where he will be a massive favorite in the $150,000 race.

Over the weekend, trainer Bob Baffert said he planned to have two runners and is considering starting Kingly, who won the California Derby in April at Golden Gate Fields. The race drew only six nominations, but there is a $4,000 supplemental stage at entry time Wednesday.

Baffert nominated Mucho Gusto, winner of the Grade 3 Affirmed Stakes on June 16 at Santa Anita, but said that colt is more likely for the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational on July 20 at Monmouth Park.

Feeling Strong, winner of an allowance race with a $20,000 claiming option for California-breds on June 21 at Santa Anita, and the French import Real Master are under consideration.

The Los Alamitos Derby is run at 1 1/8 miles and is the main race on the final weekend of the track’s summer meeting that ends Sunday. Del Mar begins its summer meeting July 17.

Game Winner finished sixth in the Kentucky Derby on May 4 and was promoted to fifth after the disqualification of original first-place finisher Maximum Security. Owned by Gary and Mary West, Game Winner is winless in three starts this year, having finished second in a division of the Rebel Stakes on March 16 at Oaklawn Park and second in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby to stablemate Roadster on April 6.