Gaming. (Ernie Belmonte/Past The Wire)
Santa Anita Press Box
ARCADIA, Calif.—Gaming went straight to the front and was never headed on his way to a 1 ¾-length victory over stablemate Nevada Beach in Saturday’s $100,000 Affirmed Stakes for 3-year-olds going 1 1/16 miles. Gaming and Nevada Beach are both trained by Bob Baffert and owned by partners Michael E. Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman.
With jockey Juan Hernandez opting to stick with Nevada Beach, who was exiting a debut win going a mile on April 19, Gaming was ridden for the first time by Hector Berrios. For Gaming the victory was his first since September in the GI Del Mar Futurity. For Berrios, it was his first time riding a winner for Baffert.
Gaming broke best of all in the compact field and proceeded to set fractions of 23.45, 47.10 and 1:10.35 for six furlongs while being tracked by both 13-1 outsider Rank and Nevada Beach. On the second turn, Nevada Beach started to come under a ride and Gaming increased his lead slightly, looking poised to put the field away. But that would not be the case. Rank made a run at Gaming on his outside, while to the inside, Nevada Beach had re-engaged and was back in the mix.
Gaming led the trio at the sixteenth pole reached in 1:35.72, then edged away again late to earn the victory in a time of 1:41.92. Nevada Beach finished three-quarters of a length in front of Rank for second.
In the wagering, bettors made Nevada Beach the 3-5 favorite with Gaming the 3-2 second choice. The morning line had Gaming favored at 4-5 and Nevada Beach the second choice at 8-5.
According to Berrios, the race went just as planned in his maiden voyage aboard Gaming.
“I wanted to go to the lead,” Berrios said. “I got a good position, and he went very comfortably. Then I just waited and waited. When I moved on him, he responded.”
Gaming had previously lost five consecutive starts, all stakes, which included four at the graded level. Following his win in last year’s Del Mar Futurity, Gaming finished second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Del Mar, third in GII Los Alamitos Futurity, eighth in the GIII Southwest and second in the Hot Springs, both at Oaklawn, and most recently was third in the GII Pat Day Mile on May 3 at Churchill Downs.
“It’s about what I thought might happen,” Paul Weitman said of the one-two finish for the ownership group dubbed “The Three Amigos.” “It was what I was hoping, but I wasn’t sure how the end would come out. I didn’t know if he would or if Nevada (Beach) would run on by him in the end. He wasn’t able too today. The rail might’ve been a little bit of a factor but they both ran good and we are happy.”
By Game Winner, Gaming improved to 8: 3-2-1 with $771,000 in earnings.
With no show wagering, Gaming paid $5.00 and $2.40. Nevada Beach returned $2.10.
Live racing returns to Santa Anita on Thursday with a nine-race card starting at 1 p.m. PT.
$100,000 Affirmed Stakes Quotes
Karl Watson, Gaming, Winner: “It’s about what I thought might happen. It was what I was hoping, but I wasn’t sure how the end would come out. I didn’t know if he would or if Nevada (Beach) would run on by him in the end. He wasn’t able to today. The rail might’ve been a little bit of a factor but they both ran good and we are happy.
“I don’t know what it would be like not to have horses with (Bob Baffert). I have never been with anybody else, but he is great he makes it fun. I’ve been with Paul and Mike for 20 years, I don’t know how long exactly and we have always been with Bob. Bob takes care of us and every now and then we get lucky.”
