Game On Dude overcame the “slippery” conditions Saturday night at Charles Town Races to take the $1.5 million Charles Town Classic (G2) by a half-length over Clubhouse Ride, who was just a nose in front of Ron the Greek. The victory was the first for Baffert in the short five-year history of the race.

With Mike Smith aboard for the fourth straight time, Game On Dude was coming into the 1 1/8 mile Classic on a three race winning streak. Game On Dude was outbroke by longshot Percussion, settling into the second spot around the first of three turns. Smith cut into the lead slowly, eventually taking over the top spot at the quarter pole.

Clubhouse Ride immediately took up the challenge on the outside, and was joined by Ron the Greek along the rail. With foes on either side of him, Game On Dude wouldn't let either one within a half-length of the front, ultimately hitting the wire in 1:52.27 on a track rated fast, though it had plenty of moisture in it from earlier rains.

“My main concern was he was slipping a lot,” Smith said. “I slipped leaving there. I slipped in the first turn. I slipped in the middle of the turn, but he just wouldn’t stop.”

Game On Dude is undefeated in four starts in 2013 and is 13 of 25 lifetime. He has now earned $4,702,158 after the $1 million payday.
“I’m a lot more relieved,” Baffert said via phone from Southern California, where he watched the race. “That was tough to watch.”

While Baffert wasn’t in attendance, his owners, including former Yankees manager Joe Torre and Bernie Schiappa, were present.

“When he came around the top of the stretch, it looked like he was working really hard,” Torre said. “Mike said he didn’t like the track. He said he was slipping all over the place, but his heart got him there.”

Game On Dude will return to his southern California base, with his next start to be determined in the coming weeks.