Del Mar: Game On Dude tunes up for Pacific Classic

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Game On Dude, the top older horse in California this year with four stakes wins, worked five furlongs in 1:01.40 on Thursday. Ridden by Martin Garcia, Game On Dude worked alone.

A 6-year-old gelding who has won 14 of 26 starts and $5,002,158 Game On Dude is expected to make his next start in the $1 million Pacific Classic on Aug. 25. Game On Dude was fourth in the 2011 Pacific Classic and second in the race last year. Trained by Bob Baffert, Game On Dude won the Hollywood Gold Cup at Betfair Hollywood Park on July 6.

A potential Pacific Classic starter or two could emerge from Saturday’s fifth race, an optional claimer over 1 1/16 miles.

The race includes Rousing Sermon, who was eighth in the 2012 Kentucky Derby and has 1 win in 9 subsequent starts. Trained by Hollendorfer, Rousing Sermon was third in an optional claimer at Hollywood Park on July 6.

“With a slight improvement, he could be right there,” Hollendorfer said.

Rousing Sermon will need to win to be considered for the Pacific Classic.

“I don’t know that’s on my radar, but if he wins it could be,” Hollendorfer said.

Saturday’s fifth race is the American debut of Holding Glory, the winner of the Group 1 Grand Prix de Paula Machado over about 1 1/4 miles on turf in Brazil in March. Now trained by A.C. Avila, Holding Glory has won 4 of 6 starts, all on turf.

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Avila is eager to see if the 4-year-old Holding Glory can handle the synthetic track, with an eye on the Pacific Classic.

“He works good on the synthetic track,” Avila said. “If he shows in the afternoon what he shows in the morning, he could run great.”