Nothing changed for Sweet Nola after she completed a three-race winning streak at Tampa Bay Downs and owner/trainer Juan Arriagada shipped her to Presque Isle. The 5-year-old mare by First Dude bred by Frank Mermenstein and Tom McCrocklin destroyed the field in her first try in Pennsylvania – winning by 8 1/2 lengths in a …
Exonerated Prez is in the process of acquiring the nickname of ‘Rejuvenated Prez.’ The 3-year-old Kentucky-bred First Dude gelding has come off a drought of nearly seven months and won two in a row at Thistledown. On March 27, the gelding bred by Don Dizney won by 2 1/2 lengths and …
It took Smith Ranch Stables and trainer Luis Ramirez just three races to get out with the 5-year-old Bahamian Squall mare Foggy Note. Claimed for $20,000 on Jan. 2nd, after enduring 10th-place and third-place finishes, the new owners picked up $21,200 for her victory in a five-furlong test over the Tapeta surface at …
Happyisashappydoes has won five times in his 19-race career and four of the victories have come at Presque Isle Downs. The 5-year-old First Dude gelding broke his maiden at the Pennsylvania track in 2023, added two in a row there last June, and made it four with a wire-to-wire score this week in a …
Berks is at it again. In 2023, the now 6-year-old First Dude gelding put together a four-race winning streak at Laurel Race Course and Delaware Park. On Sunday, his victory at Laurel stretched his current streak to three in a row, and moved him into 11th place on First Dude’s $200,000 list. …
Nobody can ever accuse Douglas Jones of not being persistent. Jones is the breeder, owner and trainer of Rusty Pistol, a 5-year-old son of Bahamian Squall, and Jones has been trying to break his maiden since 2022. In his first 11 starts, 10 of them at Tampa Bay Downs, the best …
Petulant Delight is First Dude’s answer to the Energizer Bunny: he just keeps going and going. Just when it appeared as though the 10-year-old gelding was ready to call it a career (he was on an 11-race losing streak), he pops up at Parx Racing to win a 7-furlong race – and pays …
When First Dude’s $200,000 club list was first compiled, there were 17 entrants. It has continued to grow ever since, and red-hot Impacto has become the 32nd entry, moving onto the list as No. 30. The 6-year-old gelding bred by Jose Manuel Contreras scored in near-record time in a six-furlong, $54,000 …
Sam Marin has Sweet Nola on a roll at Tampa Bay Downs, and the daughter of First Dude has reached new heights at the age of five. She’s won her last three in a row, while recording the three best Equibase ‘E’ speed figures of her 26-race career. Sweet Nola scored by …
Under a beautifully timed ride from Yan Aviles, Exonerated Prez broke out of a prolonged slump and scored a major upset in a six-furlong test at Thistledown. Sent off at odds of 25-1, the 7-year-old First Dude gelding bred in Kentucky by Donald Dizney sat a comfortable rail trip down the …