First Dude is just two visits to the winner’s circle away from reaching 100 this year after Gran Edition dead-heated in a one-mile race at Mountaineer Casino last night. The 3-year-old colt bred by Ponder Hill boosted his sire’s number of winning races to 98, getting his second victory since making his career debut on Aug. 11.

Guillermo was aboard Gran Edition, who handled the sloppy track well, battling 9/5 favorite Cubic Sound through the length of the stretch before they wound up deadlocked at the wire. It was nearly three lengths back to the third-place finisher.

First Dude’s 62 winners in 2020 lead Khozan and Brethren by 10 on the Florida sire list heading into the final week of the year. He has a chance to catch Khozan with his 98 winning rides since he’s just two behind the leader, while 12 ahead of Brethren.