Nine months ago, Gaming won the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity to claim a role in the nation’s 2-year-old division. That turned out to be the highlight of his 2024 and early 2025 campaign. On Sunday at Santa Anita, Gaming was back in the winner’s circle for the first time since the Del Mar Futurity with a front-running win in the $98,000 Affirmed Stakes for 3-year-olds. Ridden by Hector Berrios, Gaming ($5) was allowed to set his own pace and led throughout to win by 1 3/4 lengths over 3-5 favorite Nevada Beach. The win gave trainer Bob Baffert a sweep of the exacta of the two weekend stakes at Santa Anita. On Saturday, the Baffert-trained fillies Cash Call and Howin were first and second in the Grade 3 Summertime Oaks. :: Santa Anita Clocker Reports are available every race day. Access now. Gaming and Nevada Beach are owned by the partnership of Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman. Berrios said he wanted Gaming on the lead in a race with only three other runners. “I got a good position and he went very comfortably,” Berrios told Santa Anita publicity. “Then I just waited and waited and when I moved on him, he responded.” Gaming ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:41.92 after setting early fractions of 23.45 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 47.10 for a half-mile. Gaming led by a length until the final turn, where his advantage increased to 1 1/2 lengths. Rank (13-1) got within a length of Gaming with a furlong remaining, but could not sustain the effort. Nevada Beach, who was third for much of the race, closed steadily to finish second, three-quarters of a length in front of Rank. Westwood finished a well-beaten fourth in the small field. Gaming, by Game Winner, has kept good company since his win in the Del Mar Futurity at seven furlongs. Last November, Gaming was second to stablemate Citizen Bull in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Del Mar. Citizen Bull was named champion 2-year-old male. Gaming’s form tailed off after the BC Juvenile, with a well-beaten third-place finish behind Journalism as the 1-2 favorite in the Grade 2 Los Alamitos Futurity in December. In his 3-year-old debut, Gaming finished eighth of nine in the Grade 3 Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn Park in January. Gaming had brighter results earlier this spring, finishing second in the Hot Springs Stakes at a mile at Oaklawn Park on March 30, and third after a troubled start in the Grade 2 Pat Day Mile at Churchill Downs on May 3, on the undercard of the Kentucky Derby. Gaming has won 3 of 8 starts and earned $771,000. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.