Gaming repelled stablemate Nevada Beach in the stretch to win the Affirmed Stakes for 3-year-olds at Santa Anita on Sunday, the first victory since September by a colt who once looked like a budding star for Bob Baffert.
In a change of tactics, the son of Game Winner was sent to the lead in a four-horse field by jockey Hector Berrios, while Nevada Beach had to be pushed by Juan Hernandez to launch a brief rally along the rail.
The two-length victory in the $100,000 Affirmed, a 1 1/16-mile race run in a fast 1:41.92, was Gaming’s first in six starts at five tracks in three states since he beat Baffert’s 2-year-old champion Citizen Bull in the Sept. 8, 2024, Del Mar Futurity.
Baffert’s 1-2 finish in a Santa Anita stakes was the trainer’s second of the weekend, after Cash Call and Howin dominated the Summertime Oaks on Saturday. Gaming paid $5 as bettors’ second choice to Nevada Beach. The Baffert exacta paid $4.10 for $1.
Rank and Westwood finished a distant third and fourth.
Antonio Fresu rode three winners Sunday, Hernandez two. Fresu leads Hernandez, 31-25, at the top of the jockey standings going into the last four racing days of the Santa Anita winter-spring season, Thursday through Sunday.
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