Santa Anita: Baffert has strong hand for Saturday stakes

ARCADIA, Calif. – In addition to the $200,000 San Marcos Stakes, there are two other stakes Saturday at Santa Anita, and leading trainer Bob Baffert will run favorites in both races.

Game On Dude, the 13-time stakes winner, will be a heavy favorite to win the $300,000 San Antonio Stakes over 1 1/8 miles on dirt for a record third consecutive year. Game On Dude finished second to Will Take Charge, the champion 3-year-old male of 2013, in the Grade 1 Clark Handicap at Churchill Downs on Nov. 29.

On Sunday, Game On Dude worked a half-mile in 48 seconds. Mike Smith has the mount in the San Antonio, which will have a small field. Other probable starters are American Blend, Blingo, Blueskiesnrainbows, and Majestic Harbor.

The $200,000 Robert B. Lewis Stakes for 3-year-olds over 1 1/16 miles also will have a small field.

Baffert runs Midnight Hawk, the winner of the Grade 3 Sham Stakes over a mile on Jan. 11. On Sunday, Midnight Hawk worked five furlongs in 1:00.60. The other expected runners for the Grade 2 Lewis Stakes are Candy Boy, Cool Samurai, Diamond Bachelor, and El Nino Terrible.

[ROAD TO THE KENTUCKY DERBY: Prep races, point standings, replays]

Winning Prize eyes Kilroe Mile

Trainer Neil Drysdale said Sunday that Winning Prize emerged from his win in Saturday’s $200,500 Arcadia Stakes in good condition and will be pointed for the $350,000 Frank Kilroe Mile on March 8.

Both the Grade 2 Arcadia Stakes and the Grade 1 Kilroe Mile are run over a mile on turf.

Winning Prize, a three-time Group 1 winner in Argentina in 2012, won his first stakes in the United States in the Arcadia.