Like so many of First Dude’s runners who have improved with age, Orange Theory won at Century Mile over the weekend by achieving her best Equibase ‘E’ speed rating, and in an eye-opening clocking for seven furlongs. 

    The 4-year-old filly bred by William P. Sorren, a $3,000 OBS October yearling, was awarded a 95 ‘E’ rating after her 5 1/4-length score in the $17,000 allowance optional claimer, which raised her record to 5-3-6 in 26 starts. With Dane Nelson aboard, Orange Theory was off third and raced about four lengths behind the pacesetters down the backstretch. Nelson sent her up on the turn and she took the lead into the stretch after a half in :44.84, then was never threatened in the run to the wire.

    Orange Theory has won two of her last three and reached the finish in a sizzling 1:22.12, just one second and 47 hundredths off the track record for the seven-eighths.