First Homestead left Tampa Bay Downs in April as the meeting was coming to a close, re-emerging at Finger Lakes on May 17. The 4-year-old gelding scored his third career victory that day under Reylu Gutierrez and was claimed by owner/trainer Rafael Jose Rohena, who has since taken the son of First Dude to new heights.

    First Homestead has raced four times for his new barn, and when he won in a 5 1/2-furlong starter optional claiming race yesterday, it made it three victories and a second for Rohena, including the last three in succession. The gelding bred by Peggy Dellheim and Pete Mattson is now 6-2-0 in 14 starts, and the check for $11,640 raised his earnings to $64,276, with $54,446 of it coming this year.

    Joel Cruz has been aboard for First Homestead’s last four races, in which the gelding posted his four highest Equibase ‘E’ speed figures, yesterday’s 94 being best. He broke last from the No. 1 post and Cruz was in no hurry to go after the leaders early. Running in mid-track, the gelding went after the leaders on the turn despite having to check briefly,  moved up to second at the top of the stretch, then cruised past pace-setter Rally Cap  to win by 3 1/2 lengths in 1:05.51 over the sloppy going.

   Bolstering the age-old “horses for courses” theory, First Homestead is 4-1-0 in his five starts at Finger Lakes.