Gaming puts in six-furlong work for Virginia Derby

Gaming, a finalist for the Eclipse Award as the nation’s outstanding 2-year-old of 2024 but a disappointing eighth in the Grade 3 Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn Park on Jan. 25, worked six furlongs in 1:12.60 on the infield all-weather training track at Santa Anita on Friday for a scheduled start in the $500,000 Virginia Derby at Colonial Downs on March 15.

Gaming worked in company with stablemate Toughness, a maiden race winner in January. Toughness was given the same time as Gaming.

Friday’s workout was the first for Gaming on the infield training track and was done out of necessity. There were no workouts allowed on the Santa Anita main track on Friday morning because of recent rain.

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“It was nice out there,” Baffert said of the training track workout. “He went well.”

Owned by the partnership of Mike Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul Weitman, Gaming has won 2 of 5 starts, including the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity at seven furlongs in September.

Gaming was later second to stablemate Citizen Bull in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Del Mar on Nov. 1. Citizen Bull was honored as the champion 2-year-old male of 2024.

Gaming later finished a well-beaten third behind Journalism in the Grade 2 Los Alamitos Futurity in December before the loss in the Southwest Stakes.

The Virginia Derby has been historically run on turf, BUT will be held on dirt as the centerpiece of a three-day meeting from Thursday through March 15. The winner of the Virginia Derby receives 50 qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 3.

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