Calm Before the Storm for Baffert Runners

Last Friday morning, when quiet reigned in the Del Mar stable area, Bernie Schiappa and Kaleem Shah could be found sitting next to each other on the elevated observation stand along the backstretch.

Schiappa, one of the owners of Game On Dude, and Shah, whose stable includes 2012 El Cajon Stakes winner Fed Biz, are major clients for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert.

“I’ve been coming here for 27 years,” Schiappa said. “From the old grandstand to the new one. I don’t know which one I like better. But it’s always good to be back at Del Mar .”

“I love Del Mar,” Shah said. “It’s the only place where I get to see my horses run.”

Game On Dude, fresh from a victory in the Hollywood Gold Cup on July 6, shipped in late last week and is a possibility to run in the $1 million TVG Pacific Classic for the third straight year. Former Yankees and Dodgers manager Joe Torre is one of Schiappa’s partners in Game On Dude. Torre, occupied this week with Major League Baseball’s All Star Game, is expected to visit Del Mar in the near future.

Shah will get to see two of his horses run on Opening Day, My Lucky Rose in the fifth race and Mananado in the sixth, the first division of the Oceanside Stakes.

And Fed Biz on Saturday in the $300,000 Eddie Read Stakes.