First Dude retired after sustaining an injury coming out of the Gold Cup
Bob Baffert trained Grade 1 winner First Dude retires after winning the Grade 1 Hollywood Gold Cup at Hollywood Park on 9 July.
The 4-year-old colt came out of the Gold Cup with a strained tendon, which also had some tearing to it.
Dr. Bramlage also inspected the injury and suggested the Stephen Got Even colt avoid racing for a year.
The decision was considered and initially it was decided to wait, but ultimately retirement seemed like a better option.
Home bred for Donald Dizney, First Dude was beginning to get back into his stride after a two race stutter at the beginning of the year.
Recently, placed in his first Grade 1 win in the Hollywood Gold cup, First Dude was coming off a two win hot streak before the Gold Cup.
First Dude kicked off the season by contesting in the Sunshine Millions Classic held at Gulfstream Park on 29 January, 2011.
He had to contend with the likes of Duke of Mischief, Tackleberry and Dream Maestro.
Over at a distance of 1 1/8 miles on dirt, First Dude under jockey K Desormeaux ran a good race breaking from the outside, but fell apart as the leaders took over, as he failed to match the pace falling behind to finish fourth.
Next up was the year’s first grade 1 challenge, the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap run at Santa Anita dirt course.
The distance was cut back to 1 ¼ miles, but this time around under M Garcia, the competition got to the 4-year-old colt, who never was in contention to win the race, finishing 6th on the day.
The 2 race stutter wasn’t taken well as he came back to get things running for him in an Allowance race on 9 April, 2011, also at Santa Anita dirt race course.
Going to 1 1/16 mile in an allowance was considered as the prep race for the next in line, Grade 3 Alysheba.
First Dude completed his prerace assignment with a win, and entered the Grade 3 Alysheba with renewed confidence.
Held at Churchill Downs, the race reeled in stiff competition, but it wasn’t an occasion that would faze the 4-year-old as he stormed past his foes under M Garcia and set some fast fractions at each point.
Winning the Grade3 Alysheba, First Dude was slowly nearing his spring/summer meet goal, the Grade 1 Hollywood Gold Cup.
The transition from dirt to synthetic surface was the only thing to be considered by his connections.
Running on dirt alone for a year did not make a difference as First Dude zipped past Game on Dude and Twirling Candy to his first Grade 1 win; he placed the win in 2 minutes and 1.57 seconds.
It was an illustrious 3-year-old career and what could’ve been a brilliant career if he had converted those three runner up positions into winners last year, all in grade 1 races.
Nonetheless, a fantastic career.
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