Gulfstream: Major Dude, Rocket Can, Be Your Best make grade

Major Dude rediscovered his graded-stakes-winning form under a patient ride from Irad Ortiz Jr., became a millionaire in the process and punched his ticket to the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf (G1) with a dramatic victory by a neck Saturday in the Grade 2, $215,000 Fort Lauderdale Stakes at Gulfstream Park.

The 68th running of the race for 3-year-olds and up going 1 1/8 miles on the grass was one of the three graded stakes on the program.

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Owned by Spendthrift Farm, Major Dude ($6.40) was a narrow second choice behind Grade 1 winner Win for the Money. He covered a firm course in 1:45.73 to give Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher his fourth victory in the Fort Lauderdale following Largent in 2020, Mshawish in 2015 and Silver Medallion in 2012.

Pletcher ran one-two in the Pegasus Turf in both 2021 with Colonel Liam and Largent and 2022 with Colonel Liam and Never Surprised. The 1 1/8-mile Pegasus Turf for 4-year-olds and up will be run Jan. 25.

“We’ve been pointing for this (race) to hopefully set him up for the Pegasus Turf. That’s what we were hoping for,” he said. “I think he ran well enough to give that a try.”

Saratoga Flash, one of three in the Fort Lauderdale from meet-leading trainer Saffie Joseph Jr., broke alertly and was in front after an opening quarter-mile in 24.13 seconds with Win for the Money tracking on the outside in second. Multimillionaire Grand Sonata, also trained by Pletcher, saved ground on the rail in third followed by ex-stablemate Emmanuel and Major Dude.

The first half-mile went in 47.98 seconds with the top two unchanged and Emmanuel moving up to third, leaving the Pletcher pair to race alongside each other into the far turn. Six furlongs went in 1:10.99, and Ortiz found himself blocked behind horses until he straightened for home. That was where he was able to set Major Dude down for a drive to reel in Win for the Money and hold off onrushing Fort Washington.

“Beautiful trip. He broke sharp, and we wanted to have a target with him. We like to cover him. He relaxed real good,” Ortiz said. “Before the quarter pole I probably had a chance to go around, but we think he likes it between horses. He’s very game. I went for it, and thank God it worked out perfect, because otherwise I would be so sad, getting beat with these horses, because he was ready. He deserves a lot of credit. He deserves more credit than me.”

Win for the Money was another neck back in third, one length ahead of Grand Sonata, followed in order by Siege of Boston, Cash Equity, Emmanuel, Lorenz and Saratoga Flash.

Major Dude, a 4-year-old bay son of Bolt d’Oro, earned $119,040 for the victory to push his career bankroll to $1,075,297 from 18 starts including wins in the 2022 Pilgrim (G2) at Aqueduct as well as Gulfstream’s Kitten’s Joy (G3) and Penn National’s Penn Mile (G2) in 2023. This year he won a pair of allowances, was second by a neck in another and fifth in the Aug. 11 Fourstardave (G1) at Saratoga. The Fort Lauderdale was his first race since Oct. 10.

“We just felt like the allowance races he was running in were graded-stakes type fields, and he seems to be improving. I kind of think we figured out how he likes to be ridden,” Pletcher said. “We were hoping for a little more pace. It made it a little more difficult today to get him covered up, but once Irad finally got him covered up, he was sitting in a good spot. He’s got a big turn of foot and a big kick. We just needed things to open up, which fortunately they did at the right time.”

Course-loving Rocket Can wins Harlan’s Holiday  

It had been nearly two years since Rocket Can last finished on top in a stakes race. But that triumph came at Gulfstream Park in the 2023 Holy Bull Stakes (G3). His victory Saturday in the $165,000 Harlan’s Holiday (G3) proved he has an affinity for the track.

That could prove a good thing for Frank Fletcher Racing’s 4-year-old colt. His next start could come Jan. 25 in Gulfstream’s Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1).”

“I guess we would have to consider it,” winning trainer Bill Mott said after Rocket Can pulled even with frontrunner Tumbarumba at the top of the stretch in the 1 1/16-mile stakes and dug in for a 1 1/4-length victory. “I don’t know if he’s great at nine furlongs, but we would have to consider it, because he does like the racetrack.”

Rocket Can was coming out of a dismal ninth-place finish Dec. 1 in the Cherokee Mile at Churchill Downs, a race in which he was beaten by 20 lengths. As a result, bettors Saturday let him go off at 10-1 odds.

“One of those head scratchers,” Mott said. “He wasn’t good in the gate, got jostled leaving there and was never a factor. He just jumped up and down, so we brought him down (to Payson Park). He worked good, I said (the Cherokee Mile) didn’t take anything out of him, so we ran him back knowing he won on this racetrack before.”

Rocket Can received a clean trip Saturday under jockey Júnior Alvarado, settled within close proximity of early frontrunner Digital Ops and made his move on the final turn. He ranged up alongside Tumbarumba before crossing the wire first with a time of 1:45.01.

“I had a great trip,” Alvarado said. “I thought the horse to follow was (favorite) Tuscan Sky, but he didn’t break well, so I just tried to give my horse a good trip, a relaxed trip, and give him the best race he could. He showed up today.”

Tumbarumba had to settle for second, 3 3/4 lengths ahead of Steal Sunshine.

“He was feeling very good today,” Alvarado said. “He was on his toes, and that’s the kind of way you want to feel going into the race. This horse means a lot to me, and the owner has been very supportive of me through the years. It’s always great to win with these kinds of connections. It makes it very extra special.”

Now Mott and the colt’s owners will have some time to decide whether to go in the Pegasus. The $3 million purse could be too tempting to ignore.

“Maybe we’ll look at it,” Mott said. “You can have a good payday in there I guess, even if you don’t win.”

Be Your Best delivers in Suwannee River

Be Your Best notched her second consecutive graded-stakes victory, this time in the 78th running of the $165,000 Suwannee River Handicap (G3).

Saturday’s triumph in the one-mile turf event was more convincing than the last, and this one likely will set her up for Gulfstream’s $500,000 Pegasus World Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G2) on Jan. 25.

Following a nose win in Aqueduct’s Long Island Handicap (G3), Be Your Best returned with a 1 1/4-length victory over Papilio on Saturday for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. and jockey Edgard Zayas. Ocean Club was third.

Ireland-bred Be Your Best stalked early frontrunner Swoonatra before taking charge in the final turn and pulling away, crossing the wire with a time of 1:33.42.

Sired by Muhaarar and owned by Michael Ryan, Be Your Best improved to four wins in 17 lifetime starts.