Major Dude ended his four-year-old season on a high note and with the promise of better to come next year with a rallying victory in the $200,000 Ft. Lauderdale (G2) at Gulfstream Park on Saturday.
Winner last season of the Kitten’s Joy (G3) and Penn Mile (G2), Major Dude saw his form decline later in the summer and then was out of action from September until late June. After finishing second and first in allowance company, Major Duded ran a dud in the Fourstardave H. (G1) before rebounding against allowance foes at Keeneland in October.
Sent off as the second choice in the nine-furlong Ft. Lauderdale over firm ground, Major Dude provided a strong closing kick to wear down 2-1 favorite Win for the Money and hold off a simultaneous rally from Fort Washington. A neck separated Major Dude and Fort Washington, with Win for the Money third by the same margin.
Owned by Spendthrift Farm and trained by Todd Pletcher, Major Dude covered the course in a swift 1:45.73 and paid $6.40. Irad Ortiz Jr. was aboard the winner.
Pletcher said Major Dude, a son of Bolt d’Oro, is likely to come back in next month’s $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf (G1) over the same course and distance. He will do so with a record of seven wins from 18 starts and earnings of more than $1.075 million.
Major Dude was bred in Kentucky by Clearsky Farms and sold for $550,000 at Fasig-Tipton Saratoga. He descends from the undefeated Hall of Fame mare Personal Ensign.
Rocket Can again proved his fondness for Gulfstream with a 10-1 upset of the $150,000 Harlan’s Holiday (G1) for older horses on the main track.
A four-year-old by Into Mischief, Rocket Can had shown middling form in allowance company this season and was well beaten in his only stakes attempt. He turned things around in the Harlan’s Holiday under Junior Alvarado, winning by 1 1/4 lengths over second choice Tumbarumba. Steal Sunshine was 3 3/4 lengths back in third, while 13-10 favorite Tuscan Sky finished seventh in the field of eight.
Rocket Can covered 1 1/16 miles over a fast track in 1:45.01 and paid $22. He is owned by Frank Fletcher and is trained by Bill Mott.
The Harlan’s Holiday was the first local appearance by Rocket Can since winning the Holy Bull (G3) and finishing second to champion Forte in the Fountain of the Youth (G2) in early 2023. He has now won four of 15 starts and earned more than $612,000.
“I don’t know if he’s great at nine furlongs, but we would have to consider it because he does like the racetrack,” said Mott when asked whether Rocket Can would come back in next month’s $3 million Pegasus World Cup (G1).
Shortening up three furlongs for the $150,000 Suwannee River (G3) after winning last month’s Long Island (G3) at Aqueduct, Be Your Best again found the winner’s circle with a one-length tally in the one-mile grass test for fillies and mares.
The 5-1 third choice in a field of 10, Be Your Best tracked in behind pacesetting outsider Swoonatra, took over from that rival in upper stretch, and proved best under Edgard Zayas. In a blanket finish for the minor placings, Papilio edged Ocean Club for second by a neck.
Owned by Mike Ryan and trained by Saffie Joseph Jr., Be Your Best covered the turf fixture in 1:33.42 and paid $12. The Irish-bred four-year-old by Muhaarar has now won four of 17 starts and more than $626,000.
The three-year-old Mystic Lake earned her fifth stakes win of the season, and first against older rivals, in the $133,000 Sugar Swirl S. for fillies and mares on the main track.
Under Irad Ortiz Jr., the 3-5 favorite prevailed by three parts of a length over second choice Socially Selective. It was 3 3/4 lengths back to Launch in the field of five.
Mystic Lake completed six furlongs in 1:11.20 and paid $3.20. She is owned by C2 Racing Stable and Stefania Farms, and is trained by Saffie Joseph Jr.
A daughter of Mo Town, Mystic Lake has now won six of 13 starts and more than $901,000. Her previous stakes wins this season were the Charles Town Oaks (G2), Miss Preakness (G3) at Pimlico, Gasparilla S., and Sophomore Fillies S., the latter two at Tampa Bay Downs.
Coppola retained his title as king of of the Gulfstream grass sprints with a wire-to-wire victory in the $127,000 Janus S. over five furlongs.
First in the Gulfstream Park Turf Sprint and Silks Run S. earlier in the year, Coppola held off 19-10 favorite Arzak by three parts of a length, with Reef Runner two lengths behind in third in the field of 11.
Owned by Hammer Time Stable and Sport of Kings Racing Partners, Coppola covered the course in :54.60 and paid $9.80. Coppola is trained by Dale Romans and was ridden by Tyler Gaffalione.
A five-year-old son of Into Mischief, Coppola has now won nine of 27 starts for earnings of more than $760,000. In addition to his three stakes wins at Gulfstream this term, Coppola also claimed the off-the-turf William Garrett H. at Horseshoe Indianapolis in early July.
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