First Dude pole-vaulted over the $1 million mark in 2023 progeny earnings yesterday, compliments of Kentucky-bred Lady Milagro, who picked up a check for $45,100 after going wire-to-wire in an $82,000 allowance race at Aqueduct. That lifted First Dude’s total to $1,034,261.

    Lady Milagro had the services of 7-pound apprentice rider Jaime Torres, and that no doubt made the difference in the race at six furlongs over the outer turf course, since nine of the other 10 fillies carried 126 pounds to Lady Milagro’s 119.

    Torres sent the 4-year-old filly right to the lead out of the gate and she held it through sizzling fractions of :21.68, :43.84 and :55.54, opening up by five lengths down the backstretch. As they neared the finish, Ocalan Jose Ortiz closed in on the appropriately-named Gal In a Rush, but the 4-1 shot, under 126 pounds, fell short by half a nose at the wire.

     Lady Milagro, whose last victory came on Feb. 24 of last year, raised her record to 3-3-3 in 17 starts, and her earnings to $190,312, putting another First Dude runner on the doorstep of the stallion’s $200,000-plus club. The filly owned and bred by Dianette Rivas and Amanda Laderer was clocked in 1:07.71, less than one second off the course record. She paid $28.40 and received an Equibase ‘E’ speed figure of 90.