America's Best Racing. The Jockey Club.

When Game On Dude returns to the races in Saturday’s $250,000 Awesome Again Stakes (G1), fans might notice something new about him.

Specifically, it’s his jockey.

Gone is the lady who rode him in his last nine starts, Chantal Sutherland, who lost the mount after a runner-up finish in the Pacific Classic Stakes (G1) last month.

Rafael Bejarano takes over and his every movement figures to be closely scrutinized to see if he’s the right fit for a horse ranked No. 1 in the latest America Best Racing’s national media poll.

That seems a logical state of affairs, except that a raw bug boy could probably guide the front-running Game On Dude to a second straight victory in a race that was previously called the Goodwood Stakes.

For all of the attention centered on Bejarano, the biggest change for last year's Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) runner-up is the shorter distance of the Awesome Again. The 1 ¼ miles of the Pacific Classic caught up with him in the final 100 yards of Del Mar’s centerpiece stakes, but at 1 1/8 miles, while breaking from the rail, there should be no excuses, including a new rider.

Game On Dude has won his last three tries at 1 1/8 miles by a combined margin of 13 lengths, and with a perfect 4-for-4 record at Santa Anita Park, there’s little reason to look anywhere but at him in the search for a winner.

Besides the shorter distance, there’s only one horse among his eight challengers with enough early speed to keep the probable favorite busy on the front end. Winning Machine is coming off a sharp second after setting the pace in the Longacres Mile Handicap (G1) but will be taking a big step up in class against Grade 1 competition.

Instead, the two biggest threats to Game On Dude should be ‘The Old Timer’, 7-year-old Richard’s Kid, and ‘The Kid’, the 3-year-old Nonios.

Richard’s Kid was a late-running third in the Pacific Classic and this time will get five pounds from Game On Dude (124 to 119) after they carried level weights in their last meeting.

Nonios was a promising second in the Haskell Invitational Stakes (G1) but then endured a wide trip while finishing fifth in the Travers Stakes (G1). Getting eight pounds from Game On Dude (124 to 116), he might be ready to take a big step forward and hand the favorite a second-straight loss courtesy of a 3-year-old (Dullahan defeated Game On Dude in the Pacific Classic).

He’ll have to catch Game On Dude to do that, and at 1 1/8 miles that looms a rather imposing task. He is, after all, going up against a horse who should be awesome once again at 1 1/8 miles.

Ehalt’s picks:

Game On Dude 

Nonios

Richard’s Kid

Rail Trip

$250,000 Awesome Again Stakes (G1)

Saturday, Santa Anita Park, Race 10, 5:38 p.m. PDT

1 1/8 Miles, 3-year-olds & older