Roll On Dude was sent off at odds of 7/2 in a 5-furlong race on the grass at Penn National last evening. The way the 5-year-old gelding performed in breaking his maiden, he should have been 1/5.

The story behind the son of First Dude began at Double Diamond where he was bred by James T. Sawyer and former Double Diamond farm legend Gus Gray. He then raced in the colors of John Assimakopoulos four times without hitting the board in South Florida in 2018 and 2019.

Roll on Dude then went on vacation for an almost unheard of 2 1/2 years, and when he returned at Penn National in July, he was back in the barn of co-breeder Sawyer. After a bullet breeze of :47.20 for 4 furlongs, the gelding now trained by Robert Wolfe Jr. posted two third-place finishes with rider Edilberto Rodriguez.

In his third try last night in Grantville, Roll on Dude, with Rodriguez aboard, ripped off fractions of :22.51 and :44.39 and was never threatened. He cruised to the wire nearly nine lengths in front clocked in :56.11, just 1 1/2 seconds off the course record. He paid $9.80, collected a check of $10,200 and appears to be ready to make up for years of lost time.

Kudos to James T. Sawyer for this great tale of perseverance and getting First Dude winner No. 44 this year.