Santa Anita notes: Game On Dude gears up for Charles Town Classic repeat

ARCADIA, Calif. – Game On Dude, who won the $750,000 Santa Anita Handicap for a record third time March 8, will start in the $1.5 million Charles Town Classic in West Virginia on April 19, trainer Bob Baffert confirmed Thursday.

He described Game On Dude’s status for the rich race over 1 1/8 miles as “definite.”

Game On Dude won the Charles Town Classic last April, the fourth race in a streak of six consecutive stakes wins that included the 2013 Big Cap and Pacific Classic at Del Mar last August. Game On Dude’s win in the Big Cap last week ended a streak of three losses that included a ninth in the Breeders’ Cup Classic here last November.

Baffert said the prize money of the Charles Town Classic suits Game On Dude “because he’s a gelding.”

For this year’s race, Baffert said he plans to have Game On Dude in better shape than he did in 2013.

“Last time I took him there, I undertrained him for it,” he said.

Game On Dude was the 3-10 favorite in the 2013 Charles town Classic and won by a half-length over fellow California invader Clubhouse Ride, another candidate for this year’s race.

Game On Dude has won 16 of 31 starts and earned $6,163,893 for Bernie Schiappa, Joe Torre, Debbie Lanni, and Mercedes Stable. Game On Dude also won the 2011 Big Cap.