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 …
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. …
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 …
In his first five career starts in 2023, Right Karma’s best effort was one second-place finish; he then spent 18 months on the bench. But the 5-year-old son of First Dude bred by Best A Luck Farm has returned with a vengeance, finishing fourth, then second, and now with three straight victories under …
In his first two starts, Spartacus’s Dude finished eighth and ninth with Marco Meneses and Sam Marin in the irons. In start No. 3, Jose Ferrer took over the reins on the 3-year-old colt, and although it took a little time, the son of First Dude broke his maiden at Tampa Bay Downs …