Game On Dude draws post 11 in Pacific Classic

Game On Dude has captured every major prize in California except the Grade 1

Pacific Classic, finishing fourth in 2011 and second last year. The six-year-old

gelded son of Awesome Again will try again Sunday and is listed as the 5-2

favorite on the morning line.

Held at 1 1/4 miles on Del Mar's Polytrack, the $1 million Pacific Classic is

the richest race in the west for older horses and a large field of 13 was

entered Wednesday evening. Game On Dude will break from post 11 for Bob Baffert,

a three-time winner of the race, and the dark bay picks up the services of the

nation's leading rider, Joel Rosario.

Game On Dude shrugged off an uncharacteristically poor seventh in the

Breeders' Cup Classic with a victory in the Native Diver last December and has

captured all four starts in 2013. He opened the year with a 6 1/2-length victory

in the San Antonio in early February and came back a month later to romp by 7

3/4 lengths in the Santa Anita Handicap. Baffert shipped him to West Virginia

for the $1.5 million Charles Town Classic in mid-April and Game On Dude earned a

2 1/2-month freshening following the half-length decision.

He returned with a strong showing in the July 6 Hollywood Gold Cup, scoring

easily by a length, and has trained forwardly since then on the Polytrack,

according to all accounts, recording six workouts in the 50-day interim.

Game On Dude will seek to become only the second horse to win California's

three biggest races -- the Santa Anita Handicap, Hollywood Gold Cup and Pacific

Classic -- in the same year (Lava Man was the first in 2006). He could be a much

shorter price than 5-2 at post time.

The 23rd running of the Pacific Classic will feature the second-largest field

in its history, topped only by the 14 runners in Came Home's winning effort in

2002.

Dullahan edged Game On Dude by a half-length in last year's edition and will

be back to defend his title for Dale Romans. The four-year-old colt has dropped

all five starts since then but none have come on Polytrack, where he's a

three-time Grade 1 winner. After a couple of well-beaten efforts in Dubai

earlier this year, the chestnut exits an encouraging third in the grassy

Arlington Handicap on July 13 and Dullahan will add Del Mar's leading rider,

Rafael Bejarano. He's been installed as the 7-2 second choice on the morning

line.

Hollywood Gold Cup runner-up Kettle Corn captured the local prep, the Grade 2

San Diego on July 27, and is pegged as the 6-1 early third choice. Next comes

Richard's Kid and Delegation at 8-1.

Richard's Kid is a two-time Pacific Classic winner (2009 and 2010). The

eight-year-old horse recently snapped a 10-race losing skein, taking the 1

1/2-mile Cougar II on July 26, and jockey Joe Talamo will be up for the second

straight start for trainer Doug O'Neill. Delegation enters in top form for

conditioner Mark Casse, posting a 9 1/4-length win in the July 1 Dominion Day at

Woodbine. That success was on Polytrack at 1 1/4-mile distance and Luis

Contreras will be in to ride the five-year-old gelding.

Other runner include English shipper Farraaj, who captured the Group 3

Somerville two starts back on Polytrack and picks up four-time Pacific Classic

winner Garrett Gomez; Jeranimo, who exits a convincing Grade 1 tally on turf in

the Eddie Read; and Grade 1 hero Liaison.

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