Game on Dude Becomes Second Horse to Qualify for the 2012 Breeders' Cup Classic

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (July 7, 2012) – The 5-year-old Game on Dude became the second horse to qualify for the 2012 Breeders’ Cup Classic through the Breeders’ Cup Challenge series by winning the Hollywood Gold Cup at Betfair Hollywood Park on Saturday over stablemate Richard’s Kid.

The Breeders’ Cup Challenge is a global series of 73 stakes races whose winners receive automatic starting positions into a corresponding race of the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, which will be held on November 2-3 at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif.

The Classic, run at 1 ¼ miles with a purse of $5 million, will be run on Saturday, November 3. Game on Dude, who finished second in last year’s Classic, was ridden by Chantal Sutherland, who became the first female rider to win the Hollywood Gold Cup. Game on Dude is owned by Diamond Pride Racing, Lanni Family Trust and Bernie Schiappa, and trained by Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert.

“We'll take him (Game On Dude) to Del Mar to see if he likes the track,” said Baffert. “Last year, he really didn't train well there. If he trains well, I'll run him (in the Grade I, $1 million guaranteed TVG Pacific Classic Aug. 26). If he doesn't, I'll just freshen him up and wait for the fall. He loves Santa Anita and the Breeders' Cup (Classic, Nov. 3) has been our goal.”

As part of the enhancements of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge series, the winning connections of Game on Dude will receive free entry into the Classic and will receive a $10,000 travel allowance.

Game on Dude joins the 5-year-old Ron the Greek, who won the Stephen Foster Handicap at Churchill Downs on June 16 as the first two qualifiers for the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

Watch the Hollywood Gold Cup replay: