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Charlie’s Wish is First Dude’s First Stakes-Placed Runner of 2024

  Charlie’s Wish became First Dude’s first stakes-placed runner of the New Year and moved up a notch on her sire’s $200,000 list with a third-place finish in the $95,000 Sunshine Filly and Mare Turf Stakes at Gulfstream Park.     At odds of 8-1 and with Tyler Gaffalione in the saddle, the 4-year-old filly

Sierra Diamond Gets 6th Victory With Help From Stewards

    Bahamian Squall’s first winner of 2024 is Sierra Diamond, who won at Mahoning Valley with a little help from the stewards – by disqualification.     With Terry Houghton aboard, the 6-year-old mare bred by Donald Dizney led every step of the way in the 5 1/2-furlong race through fractions of :22.50 and

Petulant Delight Kicks Off 2024 With a 4-Length Score

    Maryquitecontrary closed out First Dude’s 2023 campaign with a sharp stakes victory at Gulfstream Park, and Petulant Delight opened 2024 at Parx Racing with his 12th career victory.     The 8-year-old gelding bred by Ocala Stud had Wilfred Vasquez in the saddle, and he sent her up on the inside to force

First Dude Winds Up 2023 with a Bang; Maryquitecontrary Wins 4th Stakes

    Maryquitecontrary closed out First Dude’s 2023 campaign on a high note, winning the $150,000 Rampart Stakes at Gulfstream Park for the second straight year and moving into fourth place on her sire’s progeny earnings list.     The 4-year-old filly owned and bred by Ocala veterinarian Rod Lundock earned a check for $101,725,

Baha Secret Scores in Debut for Bahamian Squall

      Baha Secret beat the deadline by three days and became the 18th winner for Bahamian Squall in 2023.     The 3-year-old filly bred by Southern Cross Farm came from off the pace under Paco Lopez in her career debut over a muddy track at Gulfstream Park, winning by a neck in

Spirit Wind Captures Gr. III Sugar Swirl at Gulfstream

  Spirit Wind turned on the jets and posted fractions of :22.23, :45.30, and :57.72, culminating in a wire-to-wire score in the $150,000, Gr. III Sugar Swirl Stakes on the holiday program at Gulfstream Park.   It was just the third start of 2023 for the 4-year-old daughter of Bahamian Squall, after she went to

First Dude Picks Up $44,200 and Passes $26 Million Lifetime

    Picking Up Pennies did the job for First Dude, winning at Gulfstream Park under Edgard Zayas and earning a check for $44,200, at the same time sending his sire’s career progeny earnings to $26,002,547 and giving his runners 983 visits to the winner’s circle.     Picking Up Pennies, an 8-year-old gelding bred

First Dude on the Verge of New Heights

    First Dude edged a little closer to reaching his next few milestones with the victory of Time to Cruise at Parx Racing.         Frankie Pennington was aboard the 3-year-old colt bred in Pennsylvania by Ocala’s Best A Luck Farm, in a $67,250 allowance optional claimer at the distance of one mile. Time

First Dude Closing in on 1,000 Victories

    When Napa Dude won the third race at Mahoning Valley yesterday, it marked the 979th time a son or daughter of First Dude has visited a winners’ circle in the U. S. or abroad. The stallion by Stephen Got Even should hit No. 1,000 a few months into 2024.      Napa Dude

All-Weather Tracks Make First Dude Gelding Happy

    The first time trainer Teresa Connelly entered Happyisashappydoes on an all-weather track was in his career debut at Presque Isle, and the 3-year-old gelding by First Dude finished second. He’s had four more outings since, all on all-weather surfaces, and his record is 2-2-0-1.     The latest score for Happyisashappydoes came at