Glad he went out sound!
http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/87459/game-on-dude-won-three-big-caps-retired
Happy Retirement Dude...
He was definitely one of the best geldings in recent memory, and probably one of the best all-time (once hind sight hits in a few decades). Glad they are calling it quits instead of dropping him down to lower level. Be interesting to see where he winds up.
The Kentucky Horse Park is getting pretty full.
They need to do an Old Friends - Santa Anita/Big Sur...
This guy is just a big puppy dog ... so sweet and loving ... If fact, one of the kindest souls I've ever met ...
I'm very happy for him to make it out sound ... I hope wherever he ends up, he's very loved and appreciated and lives a long, long happy life!
The greedy part of me wants him to become a track pony ... he certainly has the temperment (when he's not racing) ... but I'm guessing that would be too awesome to actually happen.
Happy retirement to The Dude- you deserve it, buddy.
(http://ts2.mm.bing.net/th?id=HN.608006608776269665&pid=15.1&P=0)
SS and TTM - here, here.
I was fortunate to see him race in person once - in the 2010 Belmont Stakes where he finished 4th behind Drosselmeyer. The irony is that he finished 2nd to Drosselmeyer in the peanut butter BC Classic of 2011. Despite contesting the BC Classic three times - twice in California - his best finish was at Churchill Downs.
I am sorry he didn't run in the Awesome Again last year. If he had bested Mucho Macho Man in that race he would have likely received the champion older/main track horse Eclipse which I thought he deserved for 2013 and 2012 over Wise Dan. Taking nothing away from Dan who deserved Horse of the Year both years, Game On Dude proved his ability to best top East coast horses in his best years.
I think we all hope his owners will do right by him. He is certainly deserving of it.
Glad to read he's headed to Old Friends.
http://www.drf.com/news/game-dude-reside-old-friends
Sorry we'll have to wait until next year to see him since we were just there.
They all looked great - even little Silver Charm.
I also was thinking that the Kentucky Horse Park would have been another good place for him, but they seem pretty full right now with all the horses they have.