ARCADIA, Calif. (AP) — Game Winner pulled away in the stretch to win the $300,000 American Pharoah by 4 1/2 lengths and earn an automatic berth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile.
The 2-year-old colt trained by Bob Baffert ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.77 on Saturday at Santa Anita. Sent off as the 1-5 favorite, Game Winner returned $2.60, $2.20 and $2.10 in the race named for the 2015 Triple Crown winner also trained by Baffert.
Gunmetal Gray returned $2.80 and $2.10, while Rowayton was another length back in third and paid $2.10 to show. Both are trained by Jerry Hollendorfer.
Ridden for the first time by Joel Rosario, Game Winner improved to 3-0 in his young career. The colt was coming off a victory in the Del Mar Futurity on Sept. 3, when he beat Rowayton by 1 1/2 lengths and heavily favored stablemate Roadster by 2 lengths.
