Game Winner, a champion son of Candy Ride, will shuttle to Brazil for Stud Duty

A notable runner, Game Winner has been acquired by a group of breeders and will stand at Fazenda Mondesir starting in 2025. He is scheduled to shuttle for dual seasons in 2025 and 2026

Game Winner was the Champion 2-Year-Old Male in the United States in 2018 / BENOIT PHOTO

By Diego H. Mitagstein

Brazilian breeding has taken a strong and strategic step forward with the arrival of the outstanding Game Winner, a son of Argentine superstar Candy Ride and the Champion 2-Year-Old Male in the United States in 2018. The dark bay, who had been standing at the prestigious Lane’s End Farm in Kentucky, will now relocate to the historic Haras Fazenda Mondesir in Aceguá, where he will stand under the management of a syndicate comprised of some of South America’s leading breeders.

The deal was finalized by a group including Fazenda Mondesir itself, along with Legacy, Santa Maria de Araras, Eternamente Rio, J.C.R., Red Rafa, Fronteira, Embalagem, Anderson, Belmont Ltda., Clark Leite, Cuatro Piedras, Estrela Nova, Hulk, Morro, Old Friends Ltd., Quintella, Santa Rita da Cerra, and Di Cellius. Jornal do Turfe confirmed the news, reporting that Game Winner will shuttle for at least two years under a Southern Hemisphere agreement.

Bred by Summer Wind Equine in Kentucky and foaled on March 6, 2016, Game Winner was purchased by Gary and Mary West for $110,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Trained by Bob Baffert, he debuted successfully at two and quickly established himself as one of the top juveniles of his generation. After his impressive maiden win at Del Mar, he captured three consecutive Grade I races: the Del Mar Futurity, the American Pharoah Stakes, and, capping an undefeated season, the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Churchill Downs.

Those victories earned him the Eclipse Award as Champion 2-Year-Old Male of 2018. At three, he returned with a strong runner-up effort in the Rebel Stakes (G2) and again finished second in the Santa Anita Derby (G1). He then ran a creditable fifth in the Kentucky Derby (G1) before closing out his racing career with a dominant five-length win in the Los Alamitos Derby (G3). In total, Game Winner won five of his eight starts with two seconds, amassing earnings of $2,027,500.

His pedigree is undoubtedly one of his greatest assets. He is by Candy Ride, the unbeaten champion who excelled both in Argentina and the U.S., where he still holds Del Mar’s 1 1/8-mile track record. Also standing at Lane’s End, Candy Ride has been among the most influential sires of the past two decades, producing champions such as Gun Runner, Shared Belief, Twirling Candy, Rock Your World, and Geaux Rocket Ride, among many others.

On the dam’s side, Game Winner is out of Indyan Giving, a daughter of champion A.P. Indy, adding further stamina and class to his lineage. His family includes G1 winner Flagstaff (by Speightstown), while his second dam, Fleet Indian (by Indian Charlie), was one of the most dominant fillies of her generation. This combination makes Game Winner a stallion offering an ideal blend of speed and stamina.

Game Winner began his stud career in 2021 and was well received by American breeders. His first book exceeded 150 mares at an initial fee of $20,000, a price maintained in 2022. His first yearlings attracted strong attention at auction, with some reaching up to $600,000. On the track, he has already sired his first G1 winner: Gaming, who captured the Del Mar Futurity in 2024, the same race his sire won six years earlier.

Choosing Brazil as his new destination is no coincidence. The local breeding industry is undergoing a process of renewal and expansion, with a clear focus on enhancing its genetic profile. In this regard, the arrival of Game Winneris a bold move, bringing in a young stallion proven both on the racetrack and in the breeding shed.

Additionally, being by an Argentine-bred sire successful in both hemispheres adds a level of compatibility with South American mares, where the Candy Stripes (Blushing Groom) line has left a lasting and positive impact. The versatility of his progeny, capable of performing on dirt and turf over a range of distances, further expands his cross potential.

In Brazil, Game Winner will benefit from the support of an experienced group of breeders with high-quality mares, enhancing his prospects for success in this new chapter. At Mondesir, one of the country’s most traditional farms, he will stand amid first-class facilities in a highly productive environment. His arrival opens a new chapter for Brazilian breeding, which in recent years has attracted internationally proven stallions – though few with a current profile as solid as his. A G1 winner at both two and three, boasting a top-class pedigree and already a sire of a G1 winner, the dark bay shapes as one of the major highlights of the upcoming Southern Hemisphere breeding season.