Published:
Sunday, October 4, 2020
First Dude now has a Florida-leading 51 winners for 2020 after the hard-fought maiden-breaking victory of Gio Sammy yesterday at Thistledown.
With Luis Rivera riding in the six-furlong race, the 3-year-old gelding became involved in a head-and-head battle with favored In the Game from the outset and it continued every step of the way into the stretch. But Rivera roused Gio Sammy nearing the wire, and he out-gamed the even-money choice by a head.
Gio Sammy paid $5.40 as second choice and earned a check for $5,100, putting First Dude on the doorstep of reaching $1.8 million for the year. The son of Stephen Got Even holds a three-up lead over Brethren on the winners' list, and four-up on Khozan.