First Dude wasted little time getting his initial winner of the New Year, with M. J.’s Lady coming from well off the pace, despite an impost of 126 pounds, to capture the opener at Laurel Park yesterday.

    The 5-year-old mare was bumped leaving the gate in the race at 1 1/16 miles, and Jhonatan Mendoza maneuvered her into fifth place while three wide down the backstretch. After pace-setter Cairo Queen passed the quarter, M. J.’s Lady began to cut into her eight-length deficit and was cruising toward the lead as they rounded the turn for home. She caught 9-1 Cairo Queen at the top of the stretch and the two battled nose-to-nose all the way to the wire, with M. J.’s Lady prevailing by a neck, and paying $12.80.

    The $10,200 winner’s check raised M. J.’s Lady’s earnings to $66,955 on a record of 3-1-2 in 18 starts. 

    At Turfway Park, First Dude’s initial stakes performer of the year, What’s Up Dude, finished a closing fourth in the $100,000 Holiday Cheer Stakes. The race went in 1:08.53, one-half a second off the track record. The 8-year-old gelding picked up $3,800, increasing his bank account to $334,969. He’s in 10th place on First Dude’s $200,000-plus list, just $2,191 away from Dude Fantasy in ninth.