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February Report: First Dude Is on Fire

    First Dude’s red-hot February push continued yesterday with convincing scores by What’s Up Dude at Turfway Park and Neigh Dude at Laurel, giving Dude 11 winners since Jan. 1, while the amazing Sunset Paula Jo extended her unbelievable streak in Puerto Rico to seven victories in a row and nine of her last

Lady Milagro ‘Much the Best’ in Aqueduct Sprint

    Coming off a third-place finish in the Ruthless Stakes in her previous start, Lady Milagro was sent off as the 2-1 favorite yesterday in a $55,000 starter optional claimer at Aqueduct. Based on the way the 3-year-old First Dude filly handled the field, 1/2 would have been a more logical price.  With Eric

Double Diamond Stallions Celebrate Banner Day at Gulfstream

    Gulfstream Park has many named important programs on its Championship Meet schedule – Florida Derby Day, Pegasus World Cup Day, Fountain of Youth Day, and several more. Yesterday could easily have been named Double Diamond Farm Stallions Day.     On Gulfstream’s nine-race program, three races were won by runners by Double Diamond

Sunset Paula Jo Extends Victory Streak to 6

    If Sunset Paula Jo had been competing in New York or California for the past year, and had recorded her current record, she would have her name listed high up on First Dude’s growing roster of runners who have earned $200,000 and up, probably around half a million dollars.     But the

Valiant Virtue Returns at Tampa With a Flourish

    Juan Arriagada, the owner and trainer of Valiant Virtue, has to be congratulated for the excellent job he did with the 5-year-old son of First Dude, who returned from a layoff of nearly 13 months to win the third race at Tampa Bay Downs yesterday in a virtual breeze.     In his

Like the Energizer Bunny, Ragatagtag Just Keeps Running

    Although owners and trainers love to be blessed with a barnful of stakes and allowance runners, every so often a claimer comes along who endears itself to everybody in the barn in various ways, especially by making numerous visits to the winner’s circle and paying his or her own way.     Ragatagtag,

Lady Milagro Third in $100,000 Ruthless at Big A

    First Dude gained his second stakes-placed runner of 2022 when Lady Milagro finished third in the $100,000 Ruthless Stakes at Aqueduct yesterday.     The 3-year-old filly owned and bred by Dianette Rivas and Amanda Laderer shot to the lead with Eric Cancel in the 7-furlong race and posted fractions of :22.72 and

Sunset Paula Jo: 7 of Her Last 8 in Puerto Rico

    Very quietly, a 7-year-old mare by First Dude has been making headlines in Puerto Rico, winning her last five races in a row, and seven of her last eight.     Sunset Paula Jo, bred by Maria Montez Haire, has been taken to new heights by jockey Edwin Castro, winning by a neck

Three Cheers for Maiden-Breaking Bahamian Squall 3YO

    After headline writers’ nemesis Hoorayhoorayhooray finished second in three of his first four starts at Gulfstream Park, it didn’t appear as though the 3-year-old gelding by Bahamian Squall would remain in the maiden ranks much longer. He resolved that problem in yesterday’s fourth race, a $53,000 maiden special weights test at seven furlongs.

Despite Bad Trip, Rogue Too 3rd in $100,000 Likely Exchange

    Rogue Too survived a horrible trip in the Likely Exchange Stakes at Turfway Park last evening, never having a realistic chance to vie for the major share of the $100,000 purse. However, with Rogelio Miranda keeping to the task, the 6-year-old daughter of First Dude rallied to finish third in the race at