Game Winner
01/09: 3f - 35.20 - Bullet
01/20: 4f - 48.60
01/30: 5f - 1:03.40
02/08: 5f - 1:00.20
02/13: 5f - 1:01.60
02/19: 7f - 1:25.00
02/25: 6f - 1:13.60 - Gate
03/04: 5f - 1:00.60
8 Works, 40 Furlongs: 5 miles
Improbable
01/09: 3f - 38.00
01/14: 4f - 49.20
01/20: 4f - 48.00
01/26: 5f - 1:02.00
02/01: 5f - 58.40 - Bullet
02/08: 6f - 1:15.00
02/13: 6f - 1:12.80
02/20: 6f - 1:13.20
02/25: 6f - 1:12.00 - Bullet
03/04: 5f - 59.80
10 Works, 50 Furlongs: 6 miles and 2 furlongs
Gunmetal Gray
03/01 6F 1:15.20
02/23 5F 59.80
02/17 4F 48.40
02/02 8.5F Robert B Lewis G3 - 2nd (5 entered)
01/27 6F 1:15.20
01/20 5F 1:02.80
01/05 8F Sham Stakes G3 - 1st (7 entered)
12/29 6F 1:14.60
12/22 6F 1:14.00 - Bullet
12/15 6F 1:15.40
12/08 5F 1:00.80
12/02 5F 1:01.40
11/25 5F 1:01.00
11/18 5F 1:02.20
11/11 4F 50.00
13 Works, 66 Furlongs: 8 miles and 2 furlongs
2 Races, 16.5 Furlongs: 2 miles and .5 furlongs
82.5 furlongs: 10 miles and 2.5 furlongs
GG is dead fit. His (5f) works equal to and more consistent compared to GWs (5f) works; GG is improving. IMO, w/those (2) races under his belt, GG upsets GW. Improbable shows consistency and a (15) length improvement going from (6f) in 1:15 to (6f) in 1:12. Nevertheless, needs an all-out effort to beat GG. I now see why Hollendorfer is running GG and shipped Instagrand to the Gotham.
“Improbable always goes by himself. He’s a good work horse,” Baffert said. “Game Winner, I always work him in company. He’s always been that way where he likes something just to keep him going." The Hall of Famer said he doesn't favor one horse's chances over the other. He expects both to show their usual running styles in the New Year - Improbable as a front-runner and Game Winner as a stalker. The more distance for Game Winner the better, Baffert said, adding that “he’ll never have to run a mile and sixteenth again after this.”
I’m sure Baffert knows which horse has more ability. The comment, “the more distance for Game Winner the better” may be a tell - Game Winner may lose going 8.5f, but not going longer although his longest race to this point has been 8.5f. I believe he is racing these two against each other to determine who goes in the Santa Anita; winner goes.
Steve Davidowitz has written many books on handicapping, including the classic, "Betting Thoroughbreds" and “Betting Thoroughbreds for the 21st Century.” His Across the Board columns appear regularly at Horse Racing Nation. “From my personal perspective, at this point through the Kentucky Derby prep race season, I give positive marks to Improbable, who has shown flashes against some mid-level type of contenders. Yet, he has trained so well that I do not believe we have seen anything close to his best. I also see Instagrand as a colt with terrific long-range potential and will watch his next outing very carefully for signs he'll enjoy going farther than the Gotham's one-turn mile.”