Grade 1, $300,000 American Pharoah Stakes, 1 1/16 miles, Santa Anita, Sept. 29, 2018 (10 Derby qualifying points for a win, 4 for second, 2 for third, 1 for fourth) Winner: Game Winner, by Candy Ride Trainer: Bob Baffert Jockey: Joel Rosario Owner: Gary and Mary West Beyer Speed Figure: 97 GAME WINNER is proving early in his career that he has the constitution to hold up to the demands of the Kentucky Derby prep season, as well as the Triple Crown. He won his first start on Aug. 18 at Del Mar, returned 16 days later and won the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity, and just 26 days after that took this race. He has had a busy schedule for a 2-year-old, but he’s taking it well. This race was the first for Game Winner around two turns, and established Game Winner as the likely favorite for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile on Nov. 2 at Churchill Downs. This year’s Juvenile will offer its participants a chance to prep over the track where the Derby will be held six months later. If Game Winner prevails, he will complete his 2-year-old campaign unbeaten in four starts and will have proven he likes the Churchill surface. Game Winner is a big, strong colt, one Baffert said can take heavy training. That has served him well so far, and could come into play next spring. He also figures to get better with distance, as he’s out of an A.P. Indy mare. In this race, Game Winner broke sharply and established a forward position just outside of ROWAYTON and GUNMETAL GRAY into the first turn. He ended up right outside of Rowayton around the first turn and into the backstretch after Gunmetal Gray settled into a tracking position. As the field went around the far turn, Game Winner turned up the pressure on Rowayton, and he got the best of his rival coming off the bend. Rosario hit him a couple of times left-handed in upper stretch, then a couple of times right-handed as he neared the sixteenth pole, and he drew away late while earning a very strong figure. After the race, “He wasn’t blowing,” Baffert said. Gunmetal Gray, who was second, bobbled slightly leaving the gate, raced between Rowayton and Game Winner through the opening furlong, then was wisely rated by Flavien Prat and wound up in a nice stalking position. He sat a couple lengths behind the two leaders down the backstretch, ranged up three paths wide into the far turn, was on Game Winner’s hip with three furlongs to go, came under a ride midway on the turn, could not go with the top two, but kept to his task and gained the place when Rowayton emptied out late. He also galloped-out well. Other than the start, I thought he had a perfect trip, and was simply second-best, but he was not hampered by the distance and went out well, so he’s certainly worth following. Rowayton, who was third, broke a half-step behind Gunmetal Gray but got into gear immediately and took the lead into the first turn, with Game Winner right outside him. He maintained a narrow lead into the far turn, then had to be shoved along midway on the turn to try and keep pace with Game Winner. He was outrun in upper stretch, never changed leads down the stretch, and surrendered second late. He doesn’t appear to want to run this far. He set far more comfortable fractions than in the Del Mar Futurity, yet still was struggling at the end. JEFE, who was fourth, had some tape just below his right ankle, as though it was protecting him from running down; he did not have that tape on his other three limbs. He was outrun early, as he has been in all his starts, and saved ground around the first turn while inside of SIGALERT. He remained about 10 lengths off the lead down the backstretch, saved ground throughout, and never made any impact on the top three, though he did get the best of fellow trailer Sigalert. He’s still a maiden, and he has yet to wear blinkers, so perhaps experimenting with blinkers in a maiden race will bring out whatever’s there. Sigalert, who finished last of five, was rated early and went into the first turn well behind the top three while just outside of Jefe. He remained in that spot down the backstretch and into the far turn, briefly poked his head in front of Jefe three furlongs out, was ridden aggressively in upper stretch, but never showed any spark.