After Yarmarie Correa was involved in a major spill at Thistledown a year ago, it was touch and go whether she would ever ride again. Her performances in three recent races aboard Purdy Pumkin have proven she’s as good as ever. 

    In Correa’s first two trips on the 3-year-old First Dude filly, Purdy Pumkin finished second both times, by a length in one and half a length in the other. At Thistledown yesterday, Correa and her filly hugged the rail in fourth place for the entire six-furlong trip and used a strong inside run down the stretch to break her maiden by 1 1/4 lengths. It was another 9 1/4 lengths back to the third-place finisher.

    Purdy Pumkin paid $5.20 and earned $15,840, lifting her four-race total to $29,040. The filly owned, bred and trained by Jason Dacosta received her best Equibase ‘E’ speed figure – 72 – as she became First Dude’s 43rd winner of 2022.