Bob Baffert’s magnificent season continues – First on Dude won the Gold Cup to earn a spot in Breeders’ Cup
The $500,000 Hollywood Gold Cup belonged to the Hall of Fame trainer, Bob Baffert, as his two dudes, First Dude and Game on Dude, secured the first two positions in a challenging 1 ¼ miles event at Hollywood Park on 9 July, 2011.
It had been a memorable Spring/Summer meet for Bob Baffert and it got better when First Dude won for the third time out of four starts, barely defeating his fellow stable mate, Game on Dude, by a nose.
The favourite to win the race, the 11 to 10 Twirling Candy, came in third, a neck behind Game on Dude.
Trained by John Sadler, Twirling Candy under jockey Joel Rosario may have found the distance a little too challenging for the talented four-year-old.
According to jockey Joel Rosario, the son of Candy Ride was relaxed in the beginning of the race and did not respond well, because it did everything on his own.
At the end the, a mile and a quarter could’ve proved a little too much.
The four-year-old son of Stephen Got Even, First Dude under jockey Martin Garcia followed the trails of stable-mate, Run Sarah Run, who set off the pace early into the race.
Jockey Martin Garcia took off the pace and switched on the outside, prevailed to a thrilling finish.
Because of the win at Hollywood Park, First Dude will be going to Churchill Downs on 5 November to participate in the Breeders’ Cup.
The Hollywood Gold Cup is a Breeders’ Cup “Win and you’re In” challenge race.
This will benefit trainer Bob Baffert as the four-year-old colt’s entry and pre-entry fees will be waived off and on top of that they will be earn $10,000 worth travel allowance.
The Florida bred, First Dude won his fourth career win out of seventeen starts, and arguably the most important win of his career. The Hollywood Gold Cup was First Dude’s first Grade 1 win.
For his former trainer Dale Romans, First Dude finished on the cards five times with a second place finish in the Preakness Stakes and earning third spots several times at the Belmont Park. All these finishes came back in 2010.
After the Gold Cup win, First Dude pushed his earnings to a whopping $1,442,140. He only lost once in the season and the loss came in the Santa Anita Handicap, where Game on Dude won the field and First Dude finishing sixth.
The real clash at the race track was between Twirling Candy and Game on Dude, as both of them excessively challenged each other but at the end Game on Dude kept the favourite Twirling Candy at bay to finish second.
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