Santa Anita Handicap: Game On Dude survives inquiry, noses out Setsuko

ARCADIA, Calif. -- Chantal Sutherland became the first female jockey to win the Grade 1, $750,000 Santa Anita Handicap after 14-1 shot Game On Dude finished first and then survived a 12-minute stewards' inquiry into a rough stretch run.

Game On Dude ($31.60) beat 25-1 shot Setsuko by a nose, with 65-1 shot Quindici Man third. Twirling Candy, the 1-2 favorite, finished fifth after being bumped between Game On Dude and Quindici Man a furlong from the wire.

Game On Dude, trained by Bob Baffert, was timed in 1:59.47 for 1 1/4 miles. Baffert won last year's Big Cap with Misremembered.

Stewards Scott Chaney, Kim Sawyer, and Tom Ward ruled that the contact between Twirling Candy and Game On Dude resulted from Game On Dude's hindquarters being hit, which caused him to swerve to his right.

The decision was met with a cascade of boos.

Twirling Candy was never comfortable. He was rank while behind horses the first half-mile, got outside on the final turn, then was bumped severely between horses.