Game on Dude faces four in Gold Cup; Royal Heroine draws
six
Only four other runners opted to stand in the starting gate with Game on Dude
in Saturday’s Grade 1, $500,000
Hollywood Gold Cup, which should leave the way
clear for the Bob Baffert pupil to earn his fifth straight win. Unbeaten in
three prior starts this season, the dark bay gelding would solidify his
status as a Horse of the Year contender with victory in Saturday’s 1 1/4-mile
feature at Hollywood Park.
Game on Dude is the defending champion of the Gold Cup, having captured last
year’s edition by 1 1/2 lengths against six rivals. He toted 124 pounds on that
occasion, and will be giving his opponents on Saturday eight to 12 pounds as the
127-pound highweight this time around. The last horse to carry that much weight
to victory in the Gold Cup was Perrault en route to being named champion turf
horse in 1982.
On his Twitter page, Baffert joked about Game on Dude’s weight assignment for
the Gold Cup: “Game on Dude gets 127 lbs. for Gold Cup. Mike Smith can have lunch that day. Lol.”
After Game on Dude worked a half-mile in :47 4/5 on Monday at Santa
Anita, Baffert also tweeted: “Game On Dude ready to rock n roll. Worked great today.”
Game on Dude could give co-owner Joe Torre another thrilling experience, as
the baseball legend is set to be at Hollywood on Saturday for the race. Torre,
who will turn 73 on July 18, races as Diamond Pride LLC and owns the
multi-millionaire in
partnership with Bernie Schiappa, Lanni Family Trust and Ernie Moody’s Mercedes
Stable LLC.
As Major League Executive Vice President for Baseball
Operations, Torre’s schedule has limited him to seeing just a handful of Game on
Dude’s races live. The last time Torre was at Hollywood was for
the gelding’s victory in the 2012 Californian, though he did make it to West Virginia
when Game on Dude captured the Charles Town Classic on April 20.
“My heart was pumping,” Torre admitted to Charles Town publicity
about being nervous before the race. “It’s a helpless
feeling because you can’t do anything about it but watch. It’s sort of the same
thing when (New York Yankees closer) Mariano Rivera goes out to the mound. You
put your hands in your pocket and hope for the best.”
Following successful title
defense runs in the Santa Anita Handicap and San Antonio, in addition to his Charles Town Classic
score, already this year, Game on Dude could give Torre another defining horse
racing moment as he seems well on his way to an Eclipse Award. Mike Smith has
the call on the six-year-old son of Awesome Again.
Game on Dude’s main rival for front-running duties in the Gold Cup comes from
his own barn, though not who was expected to show up. Baffert called an audible
at the last minute and entered Sky Kingdom instead of the anticipated Liaison in
the race.
Sky Kingdom owns just once stakes win, taking
the Tokyo City Cup two back while going 1 1/2 miles at Santa Anita, but didn’t
do so well when trying turf for the first time in the San Juan Capistrano
Handicap last out on April 21. The Empire Maker four-year-old seems to do his
best running in front, and could take the fight to his stablemate as soon as the
gates open. Martin Garcia has been aboard for Sky Kingdom’s past six races and
retains the mount Saturday.
Clubhouse Ride is another who might challenge for pacesetting duties. The
five-year-old son of Candy Ride was an easy winner of the Californian last out,
and finished second to Game on Dude in his three races prior to that. The Craig
Lewis-conditioned chestnut could use his confidence-building Californian win to
finally get the better of his nemesis in the Gold Cup with Joe Talamo taking
back the reins.
Kettle Corn is another looking to turn the tables, not only on Game on Dude
but Clubhouse Ride as well. The Candy Ride six-year-old finished third in last
year’s Gold Cup and was a rallying fourth in the Californian in his latest.
Prior to that, the bay ran second in the Mervyn LeRoy Handicap and third in the
Native Diver Handicap, the latter of which closed out his 2012 campaign. Rafael
Bejarano has the call for the first time on the John Sadler charge.
Oilisblackgold completes the Gold Cup field off placings in the Californian
and Tokyo City Cup. Those were the Craig Dollase pupil’s first tries against
stakes company since a fourth in the 2011 San Diego Handicap. The Tapit gelding
keeps jockey Edwin Maldonado in the saddle.
Earlier on Saturday’s card, six fillies and mares will line up in the Grade
2, $150,000
Royal Heroine Mile on the Hollywood turf. Schiaparelli earned her
first stakes victory in the Great Lady M. last out on May 26, and will try to
make it two in a row under Talamo in just her second attempt against graded
rivals.
The first time the Ghostzapper mare faced off against graded company came in
the Las Cienegas on April 13, and the five-year-old gray just missed to
stablemate and Breeders’ Cup champ Mizdirection by a half-length on the wire
after leading into the stretch. Schiaparelli won’t face that kind of talent on
Saturday as she stretches out past 6 1/2 furlongs for the first time.
My Gi Gi will be doing the opposite as she reverts in distance off a
fifth-placing in the nine-furlong Gamely in late May. The Peter Eurton runner
was making her four-year-old debut in that contest, having filled the fifth spot
in the Rodeo Drive to close out 2012 in September. She captured last year’s
Honeymoon at nine furlongs and just missed by a nose in the one-mile Senorita
prior to that, so the cutback could be just what the E Dubai filly needs to get
on the winning track. Maldonado has the call.
I Dazzle will be returning to the turf after trying the Cushion Track last
out in the Marjorie L. Everett Handicap. The Sadler trainee didn’t do to bad
when rallying for third in that first synthetic attempt, but scored her first
stakes win in the American Beauty at a mile on Santa Anita’s green in early
April. Bejarano was aboard the Hold That Tiger mare for that score and takes
back the mount.
Last-out allowance winner Egg Drop, stakes victress Stormy Lucy and English
Group 3-placed Appealing finish out the Royal Heroine Mile field.
There will be a giveaway of a DVD commemorating Hollywood
Park’s 75th anniversary on Saturday. Filled with historic clips and interviews, the DVD will
be offered one per paid admission while supplies last. Additionally, there’s a $500 hat contest, and Hall of Fame
trainer Jack Van Berg will be signing his book “Jack From Grit to Glory” near
the Paddock Tote Board between 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Laffit Pincay Jr. will present the 10th annual award named
in his honor to fellow Hall of Fame jockey Eddie Delahoussaye during the
afternoon.
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