Dude tops the betting for Breeders’ Cup main event

Published on 02/11/2012 01:49

GAME On Dude has been made overwhelming favourite to win Saturday’s $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic, the feature event in the annual two-day racing carnival that gets under way at Santa Anita Park tonight.

Game On Dude finished an agonisingly close second in the one-and-a-quarter mile classic at Churchill Downs in Kentucky last year and has been elevated to 9-5 favourite to make amends this week in North America’s richest race.

A consistent performer at the highest level, the five-year-old-gelding has won four of his six starts this season and has the advantage of running at his home track in Arcadia, California but the odds are as much a reflection of the lack of a star opponent.

Although the Breeders’ Cup is billed as the world championship of thoroughbred racing, most of the world’s top horses will be missing this year and there is not a single foreign-trained entrant in the main race.

British superstar Frankel was retired two weeks ago and even America’s top horses are absent, including last year’s 
winner Drosselmeyer. He didn’t race again after his surprise win but the cream of this year’s new crop is also missing.

I’ll Have Another, who won this year’s Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, was retired to stud after suffering an injury on the eve of what would have been his tilt at the elusive Triple Crown. Union Rags, which won the Belmont Stakes after I’ll Have Another was scratched, is also missing, even though there is a total of more than $25 million on offer from the 15 races at the carnival.

There is still a strong European contingent in the programme with 26 horses making the trip to the United States.

Game On Dude is prepared by Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, who is chasing his first victory in the race, having enjoyed success in most of the other top races in the United States.

“He’s a better horse this year,” Baffert said after Game On Dude was drawn five in the 12-runner field. “He seems more relaxed. He’s getting better with age.”

Last year’s beaten favourite Flat Out is second in the betting at 5-1, alongside Fort Larned, while Ron the Greek is next at 6-1, followed by Mucho Macho Man and To Honor and Serve, who are both 8-1 chances.

Flat Out, Ron the Greek and To Honor And Serve are all trained by Bill Mott, who has won three times before, including last year. “We train them all as individuals and we want to give each horse their best chance,” he said. “All three horses are trained for different owners and all three horses have earned their way into this race.”

Mott also trains Royal Delta, the 9-5 favourite for tonight’s $2 million Ladies’ Classic. Royal Delta won the same race last year and the filly is back to defend her title as a four-year-old.

The only female horse to win the Classic was Zenyatta, in 2009. Mott considered entering Royal Delta but opted for the easier race, although he said he might run her in the Classic next year. “I felt that running against the girls was probably the way to go,” he said. “I guess it’s a conservative approach but we have discussed Royal Delta running next year.”