Game On Dude (foaled April 26, 2007 in

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...

) is a retired American

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are c ...

racehorse

gelding A gelding is a castrated male horse or other equine, such as a pony, donkey or a mule. Castration, as well as the elimination of hormonally driven behavior associated with a stallion, allows a male equine to be calmer and better-behaved, makin ...

. He won fourteen

graded stakes race A graded stakes race is a thoroughbred horse race in the United States that meets the criteria of the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA). A specific grade level (I, II, III or listed) is then ...

s, including eight

Grade I In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...

stakes: the

Santa Anita Handicap The Santa Anita Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in early March at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. It is a Grade I race for horses four years old and up and was once considered the most important race for old ...

in 2011, 2013, and 2014 the only horse to have won that race three times; he also won the Goodwood Stakes twice (2011, 2012), the 2013

Pacific Classic Stakes The Pacific Classic Stakes is a Grade I American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds and older over a distance of one and one quarter miles on the dirt track scheduled annually in August at Del Mar Racetrack in Del Mar, California. The even ...

, and the

Hollywood Gold Cup The Hollywood Gold Cup Stakes is a Grade I American thoroughbred horse race for horses age three and older over a distance of miles on the dirt held at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California in May. The race currently offers a purse of $400,000. ...

twice (2012, 2013). He has beaten many of the leading North American racehorses including Awesome Gem, Tizway,

Ruler on Ice Ruler on Ice (foaled April 2, 2008) is a Thoroughbred racehorse that won the 2011 Belmont Stakes. He was bred and foaled in Kentucky by Brandywine Farm in partnership with Liberation Farm on. He is a chestnut gelding sired by Hill 'n' Dale ...

Uncle Mo Uncle Mo (foaled March 10, 2008, in Kentucky) is an American champion Thoroughbred racehorse who went undefeated in his two-year-old season and was named the American Champion Two-Year-Old of 2010. However, his three-year-old season was disrupted ...

, Stay Thirsty,

Mucho Macho Man Mucho Macho Man ( foaled June 15, 2008) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 2013 Breeders' Cup Classic. He was foaled in Florida and named after the Village People song " Macho Man". His breeders were Carole and John Rio of Flori ...

and

Will Take Charge Will Take Charge (foaled April 13, 2010) is a retired American Thoroughbred racehorse. Trained by D. Wayne Lukas, the horse is best known for his wins in the 2013 Travers Stakes and Clark Handicap and for being beaten by a nose in the 2013 Breed ...

and has been rated among the best thirty racehorses in the world in the annual World Thoroughbred Rankings. Upon his retirement, he was compared favorably as one of the greatest racing geldings of all time, along with Kelso, John Henry and

Forego Forego (April 30, 1970 – August 27, 1997) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse that won eight Eclipse Awards including Horse of the Year, Champion Handicap Horse and Champion Sprinter. Background Foaled at Claiborne Farm in Paris, Kentucky ...

Background

Game On Dude is a dark bay

with no white markings on his face and

pastern The is a part of the leg of a horse between the fetlock and the top of the hoof. It incorporates the long pastern bone (proximal phalanx) and the short pastern bone (middle phalanx), which are held together by two sets of paired ligaments to fo ...

-high

socks A sock is a piece of clothing worn on the feet and often covering the ankle or some part of the calf. Some types of shoes or boots are typically worn over socks. In ancient times, socks were made from leather or matted animal hair. In the late ...

on both hind legs. He was bred by the

Adena Springs Adena Springs is a Thoroughbred horse breeding operation owned by Frank Stronach and his family. The main farm is located in Paris, Kentucky, with satellite locations in Florida and Ontario, Canada. Adena Springs has won the Eclipse Award for Ou ...

stud of

Paris, Kentucky Paris is a home rule-class city in Bourbon County, Kentucky. It lies northeast of Lexington on the Stoner Fork of the Licking River. Paris is the seat of its county and forms part of the Lexington–Fayette Metropolitan Statistical Area. As ...

. He was sired by the 1998

Breeders' Cup The Breeders' Cup World Championships is an annual series of Grade I Thoroughbred horse races, operated by Breeders' Cup Limited, a company formed in 1982. From its inception in 1984 through 2006, it was a single-day event; starting in 2007, ...

Classic winner

Awesome Again Awesome Again (March 29, 1994December 15, 2020) was a Canadian Thoroughbred horse racing, racehorse and stallion. As a three-year-old, he won the Queen's Plate in Canada and the Jim Dandy Stakes in the United States. He was undefeated at age four ...

, whose other major winners include

Ghostzapper Ghostzapper (foaled April 6, 2000) is a Thoroughbred racehorse who won the Breeders' Cup Classic in 2004, outdistancing Roses in May by three lengths in a track record time of 1:59.02. His gate-to-wire Classic victory completed a 4-for-4 season, ...

Oxbow __NOTOC__ An oxbow is a U-shaped metal pole (or larger wooden frame) that fits the underside and the sides of the neck of an ox or wikt:bullock, bullock. A bow pin holds it in place. The term "oxbow lake, oxbow" is widely used to refer to a U-sh ...

, Wilko and Paynter. Game On Dude is the second recorded foal of his dam Worldly Pleasure, a mare who won eight of her thirty-one races between 2003 and 2005. As a descendant of the broodmare Adjournment, Worldly Pleasure was a distant relative of the

Preakness Stakes The Preakness Stakes is an American thoroughbred horse race held on Armed Forces Day which is also the third Saturday in May each year at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It is a Grade I race run over a distance of 9.5 furlongs () on ...

winner

Master Derby Master Derby (April 24, 1972 – January 22, 1999) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the 1975 Preakness Stakes. Background He was bred by Robert E. Lehmann at his Golden Chance Farm in Paris, Kentucky. Master Derby wa ...

. In September 2008 the

yearling Yearling may refer to: *Yearling (horse), a horse between one and two years old *''The Yearling ''The Yearling'' is a novel by American writer Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, published in March 1938. It was the main selection of the Book of the Mo ...

was sent to the

Keeneland Keeneland Association, Inc. is an equine business based in Lexington, Kentucky. It includes two distinct divisions: the Keeneland Race Course, a Thoroughbred racing facility, and Keeneland Sales, a horse auction complex. It is also known for it ...

but did not meet his

reserve price In economics, a reservation (or reserve) price is a limit on the price of a good or a service. On the demand side, it is the highest price that a buyer is willing to pay; on the supply side, it is the lowest price a seller is willing to accept ...

of $210,000. He was later sold privately and sent into training with

Bob Baffert Robert A. Baffert (born January 13, 1953) is an American racehorse trainer who trained the 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah and 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify. Baffert's horses have won a record six Kentucky Derbies, seven Preakne ...

. He has been ridden by several leading jockeys including

Rafael Bejarano Rafael Bejarano (born June 23, 1982 in Arequipa, Peru) is a champion jockey in American Thoroughbred horse racing. He trained at the Peruvian national riding school before embarking on his professional career in 1999. Having met with success, inclu ...

, Chantal Sutherland and

Mike E. Smith Michael Earl Smith (born August 10, 1965) is an American jockey who has been one of the leading riders in U.S. Thoroughbred racing since the early 1990s, was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 2003, and has won the ...

. The horse often raced with blinkers and a blue

shadow roll A shadow roll is a piece of equipment, usually made of sheepskin or a synthetic material, that is attached to the noseband of a horse's bridle. Like blinkers, it partially restricts the horse's vision, and helps them to concentrate on what is in ...

Racing career

2010: three-year-old season

Unraced as a two-year-old, Game On Dude began his racing career at

Gulfstream Park Gulfstream Park, owned by The Stronach Group, is a Thoroughbred race track, casino and outdoor entertainment and shopping destination in Hallandale Beach, Florida. Thoroughbred horse racing occurs year-round, defined by three distinct race meets ...

in early 2010, winning a

maiden race In horse racing a maiden race is an event for horses that have not won a race. Horses that have not won a race are referred to as maidens. Maiden horse races are held over a variety of distances and under conditions with eligibility based on the se ...

over one mile at his second attempt. He was then moved up in class to contest three of the preparatory races for the Triple Crown series. After finishing unplaced in the

Florida Derby The Florida Derby is an American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old horses held annually at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida. Since 2005, it has been run five weeks before the Kentucky Derby, which is held on the first Saturd ...

and the Cliff's Edge Derby Trial, he ran in the Grade III Lone Star Derby at

Lone Star Park Lone Star Park is a horse racing track and entertainment destination located mile north of Interstate 30 on Belt Line Road in Grand Prairie, Texas. Lone Star Park has two live racing seasons every year; the spring Thoroughbred season generally ...

on May 8. Ridden by Martin Garcia, he took the lead in the straight and drew clear of his opponents to record his first significant win by four and a half

lengths Length is a measure of distance. In the International System of Quantities, length is a quantity with dimension distance. In most systems of measurement a base unit for length is chosen, from which all other units are derived. In the Intern ...

. Garcia was again in the saddle when Game On Dude started a 17/1 outsider for the

Belmont Stakes The Belmont Stakes is an American Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbreds run at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is run over 1.5 miles (2,400 m). Colts and geldings carry a weight of ; fillies carry . The race, nicknamed Th ...

on June 5. He challenged for the lead early in the straight before finishing fourth of the eleven runners, two and a half lengths behind the winner

Drosselmeyer Drosselmeyer (foaled April 1, 2007, in Kentucky) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the 2010 Belmont Stakes and the 2011 Breeders' Cup Classic. Background Drosselmeyer was sired by multiple stakes winner Distorted Hum ...

. Game On Dude did not race again in 2010: according to Baffert; "He did something to a hind ankle, so I had to stop on him."

2011: four-year-old season

In 2011, Game On Dude ran eight times and won three races, notably the

and the Goodwood Stakes, both at

Santa Anita Park Santa Anita Park is a Thoroughbred racetrack in Arcadia, California, United States. It offers some of the prominent horse racing events in the United States during early fall, winter and in spring. The track is home to numerous prestigious races ...

. The Santa Anita Handicap, which provided the gelding with his first Grade I win, was a controversial race. Ridden by Sutherland, he prevailed by a nose from Setsuko but had been involved in an incident in which the favorite, Twirling Candy, had been badly hampered. The result was only confirmed after a lengthy steward's inquiry and was met by boos from the crowd. That year, he also finished second in the

and the

Breeders' Cup Classic The Breeders' Cup Classic is a Grade I Weight for Age thoroughbred horse race for 3-year-olds and older run at a distance of on dirt. It is held annually at a different racetrack as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships in late October o ...

2012: five-year-old season

As a five-year-old, Game On Dude won the San Antonio Stakes,

Californian Stakes The Californian Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually in late April at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California (relocated from the now closed Hollywood Park Racetrack in Inglewood, California). The Grade II event is open to hor ...

, Hollywood Gold Cup,

Awesome Again Stakes The Awesome Again Stakes is a Grade I American Thoroughbred horse race for horses aged three years old or older over the distance of one and one-eighth miles on the dirt scheduled annually in September at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. ...

and

Native Diver Handicap The Native Diver Stakes is a Grade III American thoroughbred horse race for three-years-old and older over a distance of one and one eighth miles on the dirt held annually in late November at Del Mar Racetrack in Del Mar, California. The event of ...

. He started 5/4 favorite for the Breeders' Cup Classic but finished seventh behind

Fort Larned Fort Larned National Historic Site preserves Fort Larned which operated from 1859 to 1878. It is approximately west of Larned, Kansas, United States. History The Camp on Pawnee Fork was established on October 22, 1859 to protect traffic al ...

2013: six-year-old season

Game on Dude began his six-year-old campaign with consecutive victories in the San Antonio Stakes, Santa Anita Handicap, Charles Town Classic, Hollywood Gold Cup, and Pacific Classic. With his 2013 victories in the Santa Anita Handicap, Hollywood Gold Cup and Pacific Classic, he became the second horse to achieve the "California triple crown" in a single year. The only other horse to achieve this feat was Lava Man. In the Pacific Classic, where he led from the start, his margin of win was a record 8 1/2 lengths. This was his third try at the Classic. With this win, Game On Dude joined Lava Man's 2006 sweep of all three of Southern California's major handicap races in the same year. This win marked a seven-race win streak, including a 5-for-5 campaign in 2013, and with his latest Grade I win is now the richest active horse in North American racing. The final time recorded in the 2013 Pacific Classic was questioned. According to "Trakus Time", a company that does timing at many tracks, Game On Dude's winning time was 1:59.26, not the Del Mar official time listed at 2:00.69. However, upon review, officials at Del Mar upheld the official time, which was the third fastest time for the race. He earned a 113

Beyer Speed Figure The Beyer Speed Figure is a system for rating the performance of Thoroughbred racehorses in North America designed in the early 1970s by Andrew Beyer, the syndicated horse racing columnist for The Washington Post. First published in book form in 1 ...

for his effort. Trainer Baffert was not concerned: "As long as they don't take the check away, it's good." Entered for a third time in the Breeders' Cup Classic, he was the favorite, but again failed to hit the board, finishing ninth out of 11 horses in the field. In order to help Game On Dude's chances with the Eclipse Award he was entered in the

Clark Handicap The Clark Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in late November at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. Among the oldest races in the United States, it was first run in 1875, the year the racetrack opened for business. C ...

at Churchill Downs. He was second to

by a head.

2014: seven-year-old season

After a fifth-place finish in the San Antonio Stakes, his first race of the 2014 season, Game On Dude won the

for the third time, beating

, who was second, and

, who was fourth. With this win, he became the first-ever three-time winner of the race and broke the stakes record set by

Affirmed Affirmed (February 21, 1975 – January 12, 2001) was a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse who is the eleventh winner of the American Triple Crown. Affirmed was well known for his famous rivalry with Alydar, whom he met ten times, includi ...

in 1979. After the gelding's victory, which was achieved in a race record time of 1:58.17, Baffert commented, "I was in awe of the horse watching him come down the stretch. What an amazing animal!" On his next start, Game On Dude started odds-on favorite to repeat his 2013 success in the Charles Town Classic while conceding five pounds to his opponents and was beaten two and a half lengths by the four-year-old Imperative. In the Gold Cup at Santa Anita, he again started odds-on under top weight and finished fourth behind Majestic Harbour. In the

Pacific Classic The Pacific Classic Stakes is a Grade I American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds and older over a distance of one and one quarter miles on the dirt track scheduled annually in August at Del Mar Racetrack in Del Mar, California. The ev ...

, Mike Smith opted to ride the unbeaten three-year-old

Shared Belief Shared Belief (February 15, 2011 – December 3, 2015) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse. As a two-year-old, he was undefeated in three races, including the Hollywood Prevue Stakes and Los Alamitos Futurity, and was named the American Champ ...

, leaving the ride on Game On Dude to Martin Garcia. Game On Dude took the early lead but was challenged in the early stages by the Argentinian outsider Mystery Train. He maintained his advantage into the straight but faded in the closing stages to finish fourth behind Shared Belief, Toast of New York, and Imperative. Baffert said that the run of Mystery Train had effectively ruined his horse's chances; "Longshots are always the biggest danger to a horse like Game on Dude. They always want to go after him. I hate to see that. I think he was gonna win if they hadn't gone after him like that. It's frustrating to train a horse and get him ready for his biggest race and have a horse who has no shot to win take that chance away". On September 18, 2014, Baffert announced that Game On Dude would be retired. Discussing the recent tendency of opponents to enter horses with early speed to wear him down and his poor performance in the Pacific Classic, Baffert explained, "It's starting to wear on him a little bit to the point where it's not fun for him anymore. We always felt if he couldn't compete at the grade I level and wasn't enjoying what he was doing, it would be time to retire him." His owner, Bernie Schiappa, announced in early October that Game On Dude would spend his retirement at

Old Friends Equine Old Friends is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) equine retirement facility in Georgetown, Kentucky, accredited by the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA). The organization started with one leased paddock and two horses, but now owns 136 acres, Dreamchase ...

, located in

Georgetown, Kentucky Georgetown is a home rule-class city in Scott County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 37,086 at the 2020 census. It is the 6th-largest city by population in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It is the seat of its county. It was originall ...

Assessment

In the 2011 edition of the World Thoroughbred Rankings, Game On Dude was given a rating of 122, making him the twenty-third best racehorse in the world and the fourth best horse trained in the United States. He improved his mark to 123 in 2012, but in 2013 slipped to twenty-fifth in the world and sixth in the United States. Upon his retirement, he was viewed as one of the greatest American racing geldings of all time, compared favorably with Kelso, John Henry and Forego.

Pedigree

References

{{reflist, 2

External links

Game On Dude's pedigree and partial racing stats
2007 racehorse births Racehorses bred in Kentucky Racehorses trained in the United States Thoroughbred family 1-l Old Friends Equine Retirement