The Big 'Cap: A Main Event Anywhere
What we have coming up next weekend in 2014's renewal of the Santa Anita Handicap is akin to a wrestling-style three-way-dance.
In one corner is the defending Breeders' Cup Classic winner, Mucho Macho Man. A winner of three straight dating back to last year's Awesome Again at the Great Race Place, the Kathy Ritvo-trained, Gary Stevens-ridden son of Macho Uno was last seen jogging home by the length of a city block in the Sunshine Millions Classic at Gulfstream Park.
In another corner is Will Take Charge, last year's champion 3-year-old male. D. Wayne Lukas's star has danced many dances and most recently ran a strong second behind Lea in the Donn Handicap, his first start since last November.
In yet another corner, though, is Game On Dude, who could become the first horse in history to win three renewals of the Big 'Cap. The 2011 and 2013 winner, though, is reeling. He has not won since last year's Pacific Classic at Del Mar, a stretch that included losses to his two primary opponents next Saturday afternoon.
There are others in the field, of course. Blingo upset Game On Dude in the San Antonio earlier this year. The hard-knocking Clubhouse Ride may go postward, and we may see Rousing Sermon as well, among others.
However, any conversations about the Big 'Cap center around the big three. Mucho Macho Man, Will Take Charge, and Game On Dude have combined to win 30 races and amass more than $14.4 million in career earnings, and each has won several races of national significance. This may be one of the deepest handicap races we'll see all year long, and if the top three all fire next Saturday, any member of the trio could conceivably find the winner's circle.
The Santa Anita Handicap takes top billing on a card boasting three other graded stakes races. Older horses will contest the San Carlos Stakes on dirt and the Frank Kilroe Mile on grass, while 3-year-olds will look to earn valuable Kentucky Derby points in the San Felipe Stakes.
Still, there's no doubt what next Saturday's main event will be. These are three of the top horses in training, and assuming they're healthy, they'll come together for the kind of matchup rarely seen in thoroughbred racing this early in the year. The excitement is mounting, and hopefully, these three top-class horses put on one heck of a show.