After finishing second at Tampa Bay Downs on Jan. 17 of 2021, Valiant Virtue was sent to the sidelines by owner/trainer Juan Arriagada. His record at the time was 2-4-4 in 19 starts.

    Arriagada brought the 5-year-old First Dude gelding back at Tampa 13 months later and introduced him to Madeline Rowland, the apprentice sensation who took Oldsmar by storm at the meeting which had its official 2021-2022 ending yesterday. With Rowland aboard, Valiant Virtue won by four lengths in his Feb. 13 return, won again by 6 1/4 lengths on March 19, then finished second on April 8. 

    Yesterday, now encamped at Delaware Park, Valiant Virtue made it three victories and a second since Rowland hopped aboard, and his record now stands at 5-5-4 in 23 tries. He went out for the lead in yesterday’s race at five furlongs on the turf, led every step of the way, and reported home by a length in :57.03, just one second and 37 hundredths off the course record. He paid $11.80 and the $14,400 winner’s check boosted his total to $107,625.

    At the halfway point of the 2022 season, First Dude has 32 winners and his progeny earnings have reached $1,129,936.