As the field entered the gate for the second race at Gulfstream Park yesterday, the 4-year-old First Dude gelding Here Comes Bullet was sitting on the tote board at odds of 8/5, and Hard Ten was the 6/5 favorite. As the duo became engaged in a three-way battle up front down the backstretch, the board changed, with Here Comes Bullet suddenly dropping to 3/5 and Hard Ten jumping up to 8/5.

The battle soon turned into just Here Comes Bullet vs. Hard Ten, and the two remained head-to-head all the way to the wire in the one-mile race, with the First Dude gelding holding on by a head, breaking his maiden and paying a miniscule $3.40, $2.20 and $2.10. Edgard Zayas was aboard the winner, who earned a check for $12,800.

Here Comes Bullet became First Dude’s 39th winner of 2021, one behind leader Khozan among Florida’s sires in that ever-changing category. First Dude surpassed the $1 million mark in earnings just a few weeks ago, but his recent successes already have him ready to pass $1.2 million.