Breeders' Cup workouts: Game On Dude, Beholder impress in drills

ARCADIA, Calif. – Game On Dude and Beholder, two of the leading California-based hopes for the Breeders’ Cup, both turned in strong works for their respective races on Tuesday morning at Santa Anita.

Game On Dude, expected to be the favorite in the Classic on Nov. 2, was given an official time of 1:11.40 for six furlongs after working in company for trainer Bob Baffert.

Beholder, part of an expected small but stellar cast for the Distaff on Nov. 1, was timed in 1:24.40 for seven furlongs in a team drill that left her trainer, Richard Mandella, almost giddy.

Game On Dude came out after the final renovation break, just as a blanket of fog swooped back in to obscure visibility from the three-eighths pole to the quarter pole for observers in the grandstand. With Martin Garcia aboard, Game On Dude worked with stablemate Drill, and began about four lengths back at the five-furlong pole. At the wire, Game On Dude was about a length in front. He continued to the seven-furlong pole to complete the drill, then was asked by Garcia to gallop out a full mile.

“That was good,” Baffert said. “He needed something strong.”

Game On Dude has won all five of his starts this year and is considered the leading candidate for Horse of the Year. He was soundly defeated as the favorite in last year’s Classic after finishing second in 2011.

As good as Game On Dude was, though, Beholder might have been better. With jockey Gary Stevens aboard, she effortlessly breezed past stablemate Indecise – who was two lengths in front at the start of the work – and pulled clear by about five lengths at the wire, with Stevens barely moving on her.

Mandella said the work reminded him of Beholder’s performance when winning the Zenyatta on Sept. 28, in that she went along easily, before, he said, “going into a whole different gear.”

“He asked her about 100 yards, at most,” said Mandella, who was stifling giggles minutes after the work. “That was unbelievable the way she looked. She acts like she really understands what’s going on now. When you ask her to go, she goes. When you want her to wait, she waits. It’s a natural progression. She’s growing up. She’s just reaching her full potential. She’s just getting better and better.”

Beholder won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies here last year to secure the Eclipse Award as champion 2-year-old filly. In the Distaff, she will take on two-time champion Royal Delta, who won this race the past two years when it was named the Ladies’ Classic, and the outstanding 3-year-old filly Princess of Sylmar, who has defeated both Royal Delta and Beholder in head-to-head matches this year.

Also Tuesday morning at Santa Anita, Baffert worked Book Review for the Filly and Mare Sprint on Nov. 2. She was timed in 1:00.20 for five furlongs while working in company with stablemate Executiveprivilege (1:00.40), who started about one length in front and appeared to be going just slightly the better of the two as they came to the wire on even terms.

The long-striding Tapit colt Tap It Rich, a winner against maidens in his lone start here earlier this month, worked a half-mile in 47.80 seconds for Baffert while preparing for the Juvenile on Nov. 2.