Breeders' Cup Classic 2012: Heavy Favorite Game on Dude Will Cruise to Victory

The 2012 Breeders' Cup Classic field has a heavy 9-5 favorite in Game On Dude (via ESPN), a five-year-old horse that will cruise to victory in the 28th annual running at Santa Anita Park.

Trained by renowned Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, Game On Dude has all the makings to be a champion of one of the world's most prestigious horse racing events. Baffert's horses have won three Kentucky Derby titles, notched five wins at the Preakness Stakes and notched the career Triple Crown for him at the 2001 Belmont.

Baffert narrowly missed a shot at both a Kentucky Derby and another Preakness title in 2012, placing in second on both occasions to I'll Have Another. The dominant Thoroughbred was a last-minute scratch in its bid to become a Triple Crown winner at the Belmont Stakes, and has since retired from competition.

Without I'll Have Another in the fold and a young, well-rested gelding, everything is working in Baffert and Game On Dude's favor to emerge with the win in this $5 million purse event.

Game On Dude has won five of his past eight races, with two runner-up finishes (via HorseRacingNation.com). That makes him the hottest horse entering the marquee California event.

Lining up in post No. 5, Game On Dude will be jockeyed by veteran Rafael Bejarano, who has over 1,300 career wins. The horse Bejarano will be riding is a perfect 4-0 at the Santa Anita track, according to a profile by BCHorseRace.com.

The stiffest tests for Game On Dude will come from Fort Larned and Flat Out, both projected as 5-1 favorites (via ESPN). With that being said, Flat Out has battled foot injuries throughout his career, while Fort Larned has been criticized for expending too much energy at the beginning of races. That won't lend itself well on the one-and-a-quarter mile trek.

The track record Game On Dude has at the Breeders' Cup Classic venue, the fact that he's trained by Baffert and will be ridden by an exceptional jockey will be too much for opponents to overcome.

As stellar as the horses in the field will be, it's hard to argue against the oddsmakers' and experts' consensus pick to win the year-end racehorse crown, and likely the Horse of the Year as a result.