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 R B C Gold’s romp under 126 pounds in the fourth race at Monmouth Park yesterday.

R B C Gold became winner No. 36 for First Dude and tied him at the top with Khozan in the winners’ department. Nik Juarez was aboard the 4-year-old filly and took her away quickly in the race at a mile and one-sixteenth. They pressed 7/5 favorite Twisted Treasure down the backstretch, went by her with a quick move coming to the turn, then drew off to the announcer’s call of “They will cruise to victory.” The final margin was 7 1/2 lengths.

R B C broke her maiden in her fourth start, paid $11.80 and earned a check for $10,500. Aside from deadlocking for the winners’ lead, First Dude moved into second place on Florida’s progeny earnings list with $940,134 in the bank.