Champion Game Winner (Candy Ride {Arg}–Indyan Giving, by A.P. Indy) has been retired from racing and will stand the 2021 season at Lane's End in Versailles, Kentucky. A stud fee will be forthcoming.
During his championship juvenile season, 'TDN Rising Star' Game Winner was undefeated in four starts–a 5 3/4-length score in his career unveiling at Del Mar followed by the GI Del Mar Futurity, GI American Pharoah S. and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Churchill Downs. After earning the champion 2-year-old title for the 2018 season, he returned at three to finish runner-up in the GI Santa Anita Derby and GII Rebel S. and finished fifth in the GI Kentucky Derby.
“As a 2-year-old, he was just phenomenal and he really brought it to that Championship level,” said Bob Baffert. “To do what he did really showed that he was the best of the best. Candy Ride was a brilliant racehorse and he throws brilliance, and with Game Winner, the minute he showed that brilliance, I knew we had something special.”
Game Winner was most recently seen winning the GIII Los Alamitos Derby by five lengths.
“After the Los Al Derby, he had a high suspensory injury, and Bob was trying to work through it and get him over it, and never could to his satisfaction,” said Lane's End's Bill Farish.
Bred in Kentucky by Summer Wind Farm, Game Winner is out of Indyan Giving, who has also produced graded-stakes winner Flagstaff (Speightstown). His second dam is Champion Fleet Indian who won five graded stakes and earned over $1 million. To date, his sire Candy Ride has produced 16 Grade I winners and is the fourth leading active sire by lifetime earnings.
“Champion 2-year-olds make great sires,” added Farish. “Street Sense, Uncle Mo, American Pharoah, and now Nyquist looks very promising. All were the very best of their generation and now are among the elite stallions in America. Game Winner dominated in his championship year and was a graded-stakes winner at three. He is a champion from the immediate family of a champion, so we are honored that Gary and Mary West have entrusted Lane's End with his stallion career.”
Consigned by Lane's End to the 2017 Keeneland September Sale, Game Winner realized $110,000 from agent Ben Glass.
“Mary and I have been excited about Game Winner since the day Ben Glass bought him for us at Keeneland,” said Gary West, who campaigned the champion colt. “These special horses are so hard to come by and to have a Champion means everything to us. I am so pleased he will stand at Lane's End and I plan on supporting him extensively as I have with my other stallions, alongside the superior group of shareholders they have put together.”
“This includes Alpha Delta, Summer Wind Farm, SF Bloodstock, Mt. Brilliant Farm, Sea Horse Breeders, West Point and St. Elias. They are among the best breeders in America and undoubtedly will support him and contribute greatly to his chances to be a successful stallion.”
The 4-year-old retires with five wins and two seconds from eight career starts and earnings of $2,027,500.
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