Last year, during a time when the virus resulted in an abbreviated schedule across the country featuring less racing days and less races, First Dude wound up as the leader among all Florida stallions with 64 winners. This season he’s on a pace to easily eclipse that number while battling for the title again after …
Riley’s Dude didn’t race as a 2-year-old in 2020, but in his first three races this year, the 3-year-old gelding primed himself for victory with a second and third at Tampa Bay Downs. That victory came in his fourth try yesterday at Delaware Park, where the son of First Dude broke his maiden and earned …
Since his first crop reached the races in 2015, First Dude has had a penchant for siring blockbuster fillies. In fact, 12 of his 18 $200,000-plus earners are females. At Gulfstream Park yesterday, Lady Emily gave an early indication that somewhere down the road her name might be added to that elite list. Making her …
Ready to Runaway became First Dude’s third stakes-placed runner of 2021 yesterday evening with a second-place finish, 4 1/2 lengths behind stablemate Clickbait in the $55,000 Lady Slipper Stakes at Canterbury Park. They were not coupled in the betting, and, oddly enough, both went off at even money. The 5-year-old Minnesota-bred daughter of First Dude, …
First Dude made significant moves upward in two important categories on Florida’s sire lists yesterday, hitting a grand slam at three tracks in Pennsylvania, New York and Indiana. The son of Stephen Got Even nailed four winners- two at Parx, one at Finger Lakes and one at Indiana Grand, and changed the complexion of Florida’s …
First Dude again moved within two winners of leader Khozan on the 2021 Florida sires list, getting No. 30 yesterday when Dudes Lawyer went wire-to-wire in a five-furlong race at Thistledown. Erik Barbaran was aboard the 4-year-old gelding, who had finished second in his previous start and was sent off at 1/2 in this one, …
First Dude narrowed the winners’ gap between himself and leader Khozan to two after the victories yesterday of First Gold at Gulfstream Park and Quana Dude at Prairie Meadows. Khozan leads the league with 31 winners, while First Dude, coming on strong, now has 29. First Dude was first in this category in 2020 among …
Tiz the Dude’s victory yesterday wasn’t quite as spectacular as Speedy Dudette’s 16-length score at Louisiana Downs the day before, but owner/trainer Rylee Grudzien isn’t going to complain after the First Dude colt’s seven-length beauty at Cajun country’s other track, Evangeline Downs. With Diego Saenz aboard, Tiz the Dude battled for the lead through a …
This is how the Louisiana Downs track announcer described the action nearing the wire as Speedy Dudette was widening her lead in the second race at Louisiana Downs yesterday: “Speedy Dudette is all by herself – winning by 15 lengths.” Turns out he was pretty close – the final margin was a little more than …
The first five times that Southern Dudette raced at Evangeline Downs – as a 3-year-old in 2091 – the daughter of First Dude showed an affinity for the track, posting one victory, a second, a third and two fourths. Now five, she returned to Opelousas, Louisiana yesterday and picked up her fifth career victory with …