Santa Anita: Game On Dude shows he's still got game in Big Cap

ARCADIA, Calif. – Trainer Bob Baffert’s admiration for Game On Dude reached a new level after the $750,750 Santa Anita Handicap on Saturday.

The race was almost two hours old when Baffert was told that Game On Dude’s winning time of 1:58.17 for 1 1/4 miles was a stakes record in the 77th running of the historic race.

“I’m still in awe of Dude,” Baffert said.

Game On Dude became the first horse to win the Big Cap a third time. After 16 wins in 31 starts and earnings of $6,163,893, the Game On Dude story is far from over. Baffert said in a phone conversation Sunday that he will begin forming a plan for Game On Dude’s spring campaign in the coming days.

“We haven’t really discussed it,” he said. “It will be a week.”

Baffert flew from California to Florida on Sunday to attend a horse sale. He traveled with Bernie Schiappa, a co-owner of Game On Dude with Debbie Lanni, Mercedes Stable, and Joe Torre.

Schiappa and Baffert will have several races to choose from for Game On Dude, including the $1.5 million Charles Town Classic in West Virginia on April 19 or two races at Santa Anita – the $200,000 Californian Stakes over 1 1/8 miles on May 31 and the $500,000 Gold Cup on June 28.

The Californian and Gold Cup were previously run at Hollywood Park, which closed in December. In 2012, Game On Dude won the Californian and Hollywood Gold Cup. In 2013, Game On Dude won the Charles Town Classic, skipped the Californian, and won the Gold Cup.

Game On Dude, a 7-year-old gelding by Awesome Again, has won 14 stakes. Saturday’s win ended a three-race losing streak that included a ninth in the Breeders’ Cup Classic here in November, a second to Will Take Charge in the Clark Handicap at Churchill Downs on Nov. 29, and a fifth in the Grade 2 San Antonio Stakes here Feb. 8.

Game On Dude lost the Clark by a head, but his losses in the BC Classic and San Antonio Stakes left doubt as to whether his best races were behind him. At least in the San Antonio, Game On Dude had a valid excuse, racing with Blueskiesnrainbows in a speed duel before fading from contention.

That loss left Game On Dude as the 7-2 third choice in the betting for the Big Cap behind 6-5 Mucho Macho Man and 3-2 Will Take Charge.

Game On Dude, ridden by Mike Smith, took the lead going into the first turn and was never seriously challenged. He set a quick pace of 22.91 and 45.39 seconds, led by a length on the backstretch, and pulled away to win by 1 3/4 lengths over Will Take Charge.

“I’m glad he had a chance to strut his stuff,” Baffert said.

Schiappa was the only one of the owners to attend the race. He said he expected Game On Dude to rebound after talking with Baffert on the morning of the race.

“I thought this might be his day,” Schiappa said. “If you have a problem with electricity, you call an electrician. If you want to win a horse race, call Bob.”

Blingo, who won the San Antonio Stakes, finished third in the Big Cap. Mucho Macho Man finished a quiet fourth. Jockey Gary Stevens said the 6-year-old Mucho Macho Man was out of contention on the final turn. On Sunday, trainer Kathy Ritvo told Santa Anita officials that Mucho Macho Man will return to her winter base in Florida on Wednesday.

Game On Dude won the 2011 Big Cap by a nose over Setsuko, a race with a controversial finish because of bumping in the stretch. In 2012, Game On Dude did not start in the Big Cap and was sent to the United Arab Emirates for the Dubai World Cup. He finished 12th of 13.

In 2013, Game On Dude won the Big Cap by a record 7 3/4 lengths, the third stakes win in a streak that eventually reached six races and ended with the loss in the BC Classic. Had Game On Dude won the BC Classic, he would have been named Horse of the Year, a title that went to the turf miler Wise Dan for the second consecutive year.

For the most part, Game On Dude’s 2014 campaign will be California-oriented. The BC Classic will be run here again for the third consecutive year Nov. 1. It could be Game On Dude’s fourth consecutive start in the race. He was second at Churchill Downs in 2011 and seventh here in 2012.

On Saturday, Game On Dude showed that he still belongs in such races.

“He had to run well today,” Baffert said in the minutes after the race. “As long as he’s enjoying it, we’ll keep running him.”