West Point Thoroughbreds and Albaugh Family Stable LLC's Giant Game is set to make his 3-year-old debut in Saturday's $250,000 Holy Bull (G3) at Gulfstream Park a bigger and, hopefully, better racehorse.
“Like we say every year, this is the time for the 2-year-olds to turn into men and grow up,” trainer Dale Romans said. “I think he's made a good turn. He had a little freshener. He had a few weeks off after the Breeders' Cup and has gone right back in training.”
If Giant Game, who finished third in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) in only his third career start, returns to action just a little bit better Saturday, the son of Giant's Causeway should be expected to be a major factor in the 1 1/16-mile prep on the Road to the Curlin Florida Derby (G1).
“He's gotten a lot thicker. He's not the tallest horse in the world. He's a more racier Giant's Causeway than you usually see. He has started to thicken up and start to look like the rest of them,” Romans said.
“I think this is the best place to winter to make them good horses later. That's what I'm seeing from him. He's looking good, feeling good. This warm salty air is good for him.”
Giant Game made a late run to finish third in his Sept. 18 six-furlong debut at Churchill Downs before stretching out to 1 1/16 miles to graduate going away by three lengths at Keeneland next time out. The performance encouraged Romans to ship him to Del Mar for the Breeders' Cup.
“I put my neck on the line there, coming off a maiden race at Keeneland. But when you have a horse with his pedigree, looks like him, acts like him, and runs like he did, you expect him to perform at the highest level, so you put them in the highest-level races,” Romans said.
Leading jockey Luis Saez will ride Giant Game for the first time in the Holy Bull.
