Bob Baffert sends Prayer for Relief and Game on Dude to tackle Morning Line in the Californian
Thoroughbred Legends Racing Stable’s 5-year-old horse, Morning Line, after his brilliant victory in the Grade 2 Mervyn Leroy Handicap over at Betfair Hollywood Park’s cushion track is now ready to continue his winning form in the Grade 2, $150,000 Californian
Stakes over at the same venue ad the same track, but he will be stretched out in distance to 1 1/8 miles.
Though, the stretched out distance will be the least of Morning Line’s and his trainer John A. Shirreffs’ worries going into the Californian, because trainer Bob Baffert has decided get, Game on Dude, back in action after his unplaced finish in the Group
1 Dubai World Cup at the Meydan.
Bob Baffert will be looking to atone for Prayer for Relief’s defeat in the Mervyn Leroy Handicap, as the veteran trainer will enter the second placed finisher in the previous race to take revenge on, Morning Line.
Bred in Kentucky by Adena Springs, Game on Dude was a close runner up to winner, Drosselmeyer, in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Classic last fall at Churchill Downs, and kicked off his new season on a winning note with a win in the Grade 2 San Antonio Stakes,
defeating Uh Oh Bango in second and Victory Pete in third at about 1 1/8 miles.
A terrible draw in the Dubai World Cup left Game on Dude and Chantal Sutherland looking for space, but never got any, as the finished a dismal 12th to winner, Monterosso.
The imposing dark bay is coming off a solid work for trainer Bob Baffert, as the Awesome Again horse turned in seven furlongs in 1 minute and 24 seconds flat over at Santa Anita Park’s main dirt track on 27 May, 2012.
Out of Devil His Due mare Worldly Pleasure, Game on Dude has only once run over the Hollywood Park’s cushion track, and got beaten by a nose to stable mate, First Dude, and lost the Grade 1 Hollywood Gold Cup at 1 ¼ miles last year July.
Morning Line will have to counter a double threat from Bob Baffert if he has to survive in this division.
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