Bob Baffert Earns Fourth Victory in Lone Star’s
Biggest Race For Three-Year-Olds;
Jockey Martin Garcia Returns to Take Second
Graded Stakes Win of the Meet
GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas (May 8, 2010) – Lanni Family Trust, Mercedes Stable LLC, and Bernard Schiappa’s Game On Dude, trained by Bob Baffert, proved to be too much for his opponents in the 14th running of the Grade 3, $200,000 Lone Star Derby over a fast track at Lone Star Park on Saturday.
With Southern California rider Martin Garcia in for the ride, Game On Dude was patiently handled behind opening fractions of 22.87, 46.34 and 1:11.03. The bay son of 1998 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Awesome Again then made a bold bid for the lead at the quarter-pole, and after taking command at the top of the stretch, held off a mild, late challenge from the Steve Asmussen-trained Crider though the stretch to win going away by 4 ½ lengths. The final time for the 1 1/16-miles journey was 1:44.61. Crider stayed on to finish second, and it was another 3 ½ lengths back to Henshin Hero in third.
“Bob just told me to try to keep him in the clear,” said winning jockey Martin Garcia. “He was impressive, he showed that he can really run today.”
In winning the Lone Star Derby, Game On Dude secured his first graded stakes victory while increasing his career earnings to $157,258, and in improving his record to two wins from five starts, he helped Baffert win his fourth Lone Star Derby – Anet (1997), Wanna Runner (2006), and Mythical Power (2009), who returned to Lone Star Park on April 24 this year to become the only horse in history to win both the Lone Star Park Derby and the Texas Mile.
With the win and his previous victory in the Texas Mile, Garcia has now captured the first two Grade 3 stakes of the 2010 Lone Star Park Spring Thoroughbred Meet.
Game On Dude paid $4.40, $2.60, $2.20, runner-up Crider returned $3.20, $2.40, and Henshin Hero paid $2.40 for show. Wando Redd, Thatlleaveamark, and Gilded Woodman completed the order of finish.
Lone Star Park’s 2010 Spring Thoroughbred Season will run four days a week every Thursday and Friday at 6:35 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday at 1:35 p.m. through July 18. The Lone Star Million program on Memorial Day will start at 1:35 p.m. and special twilight programs with post-race holiday fireworks on Saturday, July 3 and Sunday, July 4 (Lone Stars & Stripes Fireworks Celebration) will commence at 5:00 p.m. (All times are Central Time). Lone Star Park’s 26-day, 2010 Fall Meeting of Champions for American Quarter Horses will be held from Sept. 17 to Nov. 13. For more information, visit LoneStarPark.com or call (972) 263-RACE (7223).
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