Big 'Cap - Saturday March 8th

[BaroqueAgain1]

"...if someone would have run toe to toe with him into the final turn..."
  I think 'Ghost tried to run with him, and the effort burned him out. MMM sure tried to stay close, but even trying to stay within a couple of lengths left the big colt fading. Da Dude is just too fast, and he can keep rolling at that speed longer than most.
  Great win.

[peeptoad]

"...if someone would have run toe to toe with him into the final turn..."
  I think 'Ghost tried to run with him, and the effort burned him out. MMM sure tried to stay close, but even trying to stay within a couple of lengths left the big colt fading. Da Dude is just too fast, and he can keep rolling at that speed longer than most.
  Great win.

I would actually be interested to see what would happen if they kept the blinks on Hear the Ghost, and shortened him back up to one turn.

[BaroqueAgain1]

  That would probably be better for 'Ghost, because I really don't think he's a mile-and-a-quarter horse.

[Islandgirl45]

My thoughts exactly on every point Peep!

As long as they let him free on the lead and didn't look him in the eye, he had a great shot. Once Hear The Ghost backed off, I knew The Dude had it
IMO, if someone would have run toe to toe with him into the final turn, he would have spit the bit and been off the board.

But they didn't ... so hence the result ... and I'm happy!  The crowd was too! Huge applause for him coming through the stretch and again when Mike brought him by the stands for the crowd.Seems most people understood the import for both The Dude and history.

It was nice to see Baffert get emotional about Dude's win, too. He's so calm and cool, usually.

I was rooting for Game On Dude, though I couldn't say I was confident about his chances.  When MMM and WTC came after him I was watching it on the computer yelling, "Go, go buddy, you can do it!

[Man o Taz]

Well, this was sheer vindication for Game on Dude.

Mr. Baffert did not get him to try and rate. He let him fight to the lead and keep it.

He could not compete with top East Coast horses?

Yes he can. And he always has.

In 2011 he was in front of Tizway in the Charlestown Classic behind Duke of Mischief when Tizway had his best year ever.

In 2011, he finished second to Drosselemeyer in the BC Classic ahead of Rules On Ice, Havre De Grace, Flat Out, So You Think, To Honor and Serve, Ice Box, Rattlesnake Bridge, Uncle Mo, Stay Thirsty, and Headache.

In 2013, he bested Ron The Greek in the Santa Anita Derby and again in the Charles Town Classic where he also beat Caixa Eletronica another top East coast horse.

In 2014, he bested the three year champion Will Take Charge and 2013 BC Classic winner Mucho Macho Man.

I thought Dude would either win or be nowhere... did not trust him off that last race, but it looks like the Dude got some of his old mojo back. I like him, and it's nice to see him in the winner's circle again.

He has finished second in two of his last three though...

[peeptoad]

He has finished second in two of his last three though...

??
He was 2nd in the Clark in November... prior to that his most recent ( and only other) 2nd place finish was in the Pac Classic in 2012. He typically wins or is off the board, which is why I posted what I did.
He was well off the board in his most recent outing prior to the Big Cap, with no apparent excuse at all.

[Man o Taz]

My mistake. I thought he was second in the San Antonio.

[perfectsoul]

Pre-race I was pulling for WTC, but as soon as Dude got to the front I got excited. And when MMM, WTC and Dude were side-by-side I suddenly just started screaming for The Dude. I don't think I ever screamed at a TV as loud as I did during that race. I was so happy he won. And it was such a great race, with such talented horses.

Saturday was just a great day of racing from top to bottom.

[Man o Taz]

PS -

Absolutely - what a great card they had at Santa Anita.

Sahara Sky makes his return impressively.

California Chrome cements himself as a Derby contender for the Shermanator.

And Game On Dude earns the respect he has long deserved. The best was listening to the folks on TVG who had long supported him - give him no chance at all and the one person who picked him in an exacta on Fox was Andy Serling.