Just three foes lined up to take on accomplished multiple Grade I winner Game On Dude (Awesome Again) in yesterday’s GII San Antonio S. in Arcadia, and it looked more like a one-horse race at the finish. Backed all the way down to 1-9 off a bounce-back win in the GIII Native Diver S. at Betfair Hollywood Park Dec. 1, the 6-year-old gelding did not make an easy lead, but it didn’t matter. Game on Dude was pestered by an eager Basmati (Borrego) going into the first turn, and rider Mike Smith did his best to keep his mount calm as the pair traded jabs down the backstretch through a half in :46.78. The chalk left his antagonist in the dust late on the home turn, and braced for a challenge from Clubhouse Ride (Candy Ride {Arg}), who was traveling with ominous ease approaching the stretch. The possibility of an upset was short-lived, however, as Game On Dude quickly spurted clear in the run to the wire without any real encouragement from Smith.

Sunday, Santa Anita
SAN ANTONIO S.-GII, $196,000, SAX, 2-3, 4yo/up, 1 1/8m, 1:47 2/5, ft.
1--GAME ON DUDE, 123, g, 6, by Awesome Again
1st Dam: Worldly Pleasure (SW, $183,095), by Devil His Due
2nd Dam: Fast Pleasure, by Fast Play
3rd Dam: Sis Pleasure Fager, by What a Pleasure
($210,000 RNA yrl '08 KEESEP). O-Diamond Pride LLC, Lanni Family Trust, Mercedes Stable LLC & B Schiappa; B-Adena Springs (KY); T-Bob Baffert; J-Mike E Smith. $120,000. Lifetime Record: MGISW, 23-11-5-1, $3,252,158. Werk Nick Rating: B+. Click for eNicks rating & 5-cross pedigree.




2--Clubhouse Ride, 118, h, 5, Candy Ride (Arg)--Seeking Results, by Seeking the Gold. ($22,000 2yo ‘10 BESJAN). O-Six-S Racing Stable and Nikolas Petralia; B-Mr & Mrs Sidney H Craig & Jenny Craig (KY); T-Craig Anthony Lewis. $40,000.
3--Make Music for Me, 118, h, 6, Bernstein--Miss Cheers, by Carson City. ($95,000 2yo ‘09 BESMAR). O-Ellen & Peter Johnson; B-Richard Shultz (KY); T-Alexis Barba. $24,000.
Margins: 6HF, 13 3/4, 2 1/4. Odds: 0.05, 10.20, 24.10.
Also Ran: Basmati. Scratched: Chosen Miracle.
Click for the brisnet.com chart, the brisnet.com PPs or the free brisnet.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO.
   Game on Dude followed up a successful 2011 that included a pair of Grade I wins and a runner-up effort in the GI Breeders’ Cup Classic with a very similar 5 1/4-length romp in this event a year ago. A fruitless trip to Dubai for the G1 Dubai World Cup came next, but the dark bay proved no worse for wear when he annexed the GII Californian S. at Hollywood by 7 1/4 lengths in June. He bested stablemate (at the time) Richard’s Kid (Lemon Drop Kid) in the following month’s GI Hollywood Gold Cup H., but was nipped by sophomore invader Dullahan (Even the Score) in Del Mar’s GI Pacific Classic S. Aug. 26. He upped his record over this track to five-for-five with a facile tally from Nonios (Pleasantly Perfect) in the GI Awesome Again S. Sept. 29, and stood firmly atop the handicap division going into the Breeders’ Cup Classic Nov. 3. The 13-10 choice was a surprising no-show seventh that day, but dismissed that effort as nothing more than a fluke with a 1 1/4-length defeat of Nonios (Pleasantly Perfect) in the Native Diver.