Major Dude the Ft Lauderdale, Credit Ryan Thompson
Wolfie’s Dynaghost Favored in Prep for $1M Pegasus Turf (G1)
Gulfstream Press
HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Defending champion Major Dude, fellow millionaires Wolfie’s Dynaghost and Chasing the Crown, and graded winners Cugino and Steal Sunshine top a stacked group of 10 older horses set to contest Saturday’s $200,000 Fort Lauderdale (G3) at Gulfstream Park.
The 69th running of the Fort Lauderdale for 3-year-olds and up, scheduled for 1 1/8 miles on the grass, is the last of five stakes, two graded, worth $750,000 in purses on an 11-race Pegasus Preview Day program that begins at 12:20 p.m.
Named for the famed coastal city 14 miles north of Gulfstream, the Fort Lauderdale serves as the local prep for the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf (G1) Jan. 24. Also on Saturday’s program are the $150,000 Harlan’s Holiday (G3), steppingstone to the $3 million Pegasus World Cup (G1), and the $150,000 Suwannee River, a tuneup for the $500,000 Pegasus Filly & Mare Turf (G2).
Spendthrift Farm’s Major Dude is looking to become the Fort Lauderdale’s first repeat winner after rallying for a dramatic neck victory over millionaire Fort Washington last year, his fifth career stakes win and third and most recent against graded company. He has two wins and two seconds in six lifetime races at Gulfstream, including a victory in the 2023 Kitten’s Joy (G3).
“We’ll give him a chance to defend his title,” Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher said. “[He’s a] cool horse, just so consistent. Always shows up and tries hard. I like the way he worked [Saturday] morning so hopefully that means he’s sitting on a good one.”
Major Dude most recently was a popular winner of one-mile Artie Schiller Oct. 11 on the Aqueduct turf, boosting his career bankroll over $1.4 million. He is two-for-three at the 1 1/8-mile distance and is attempting to give Pletcher his fifth Fort Lauderdale win following Silver Medallion (2012), Mshawish (2015) and Largent (2020) prior to last year.
“Even though he won last time at Aqueduct, we didn’t feel like he handled the turf course there so we felt that, knowing that he runs well fresh and he ran well in this race last year, that we would give him a little extra time in between races and point for this,” Pletcher said.
“He’s sneaking up on 6 [years old]. Right now the plans are to run in here and see how he does, and he could potentially earn his way into the Pegasus Turf,” he added. “Not sure what the long-term plans are but he’s kind of part of the family at this point.”
Hall of Famer John Velazquez, up for the last three starts, returns to ride from Post 8. They are rated at 5-1 on the morning line.
Woodslane Farm’s 7-year-old homebred gelding Wolfie’s Dynaghost is chasing his 14th career win, third in a row and second straight since joining the barn of trainer Brian Lynch following a front-running 2 ¾-length triumph in the 1 1/8-mile River City (G3) Nov. 8 at Churchill Downs.
“He came over in very good order and fortunately enough he picked up where he left off with [previous trainer] Jonathan [Thomas]. He touted himself going into the River City and ran like we hoped he would,” Lynch said. “Obviously he’s a classy old horse. I was proud to be able to continue his winning streak and keep him out there because he looks like he could be a lovely older handicap grass horse.”
Wolfie’s Dynaghost has a history of success at Gulfstream, winning the Carousel Club overnight handicap in 2022 and 2023 over the all-weather Tapeta on the Pegasus World Cup undercard. He also ran second by a half-length in the 2022 Appleton (G3) going a mile on the Gulfstream turf for original trainer Tom Albertrani.
Lynch previously won the Fort Lauderdale with 5-year-old Heart to Heart in 2016. Two years later, Heart to Heart won back-to-back Grade 1 stakes starting with the Gulfstream Park Turf, rebranded the Pegasus Turf in 2019.
“We had Heart to Heart and he won his Grade 1’s when he was [7]. We had Grand Arch who ran third in the [2015] Breeders’ Cup [Mile G1] when he was [6],” Lynch said. “Sometimes these older horses, those are their best years. John Henry was [1984] Horse of the Year when he was [9]. Let’s hope we’re far from being done.”
Irad Ortiz Jr. is named on Wolfie’s Dynaghost, the 2-1 program favorite, from Post 2. The only six-time Championship Meet leading rider ranks first in the country with 340 wins and a record $39.6 million in purse earnings.
Paradise Farms Corp., David Staudacher and Angelo Carlesimo’s 6-year-old Chasing the Crown (Post 3, 8-1) is a millionaire stakes winner that has placed three times in graded company including a third behind Spirit of St Louis and Integration in the 2025 Pegasus Turf, beaten 1 ½ lengths. Trained by Mike Maker, winner of the 2018 Fort Lauderdale with Shining Copper, Chasing the Crown won a $500,000 handicap at Kentucky Downs before running seventh to Wolfie’s Dynaghost in the River City.
West Point Thoroughbreds and Jimmy Kahig’s 4-year-old Cugino (Post 6, 5-2) won last year’s Tropical Park Derby at Gulfstream and has run second in two other tries over its turf course including the 2024 Colonel Liam when he was beaten a neck. His Hall of Fame trainer, Shug McGaughey, has never won the Fort Lauderdale.
“The horse could not be doing any better,” West Point executive vice president Tom Bellhouse said. “His coat looks great. Shug said all along that he’s got to be perfect for us to run and to really keep the momentum going if we’re going to try to get to the big dance in January.”
A half-brother to Grade 3 winner Battle of Normandy, Cugino takes a two-race win streak into the Fort Lauderdale. He came from off the pace to capture the one-mile Red Bank by a length Sept. 1 at Monmouth Park and the 1 3/8-mile Red Smith (G2) by a nose Nov. 2 at Aqueduct.
“We love this horse. Earlier in his career he was a touch unlucky. He had a couple of tough trips where it seemed like even when he won there was an inquiry. He was always bouncing off against somebody,” Bellhouse said. “This is one of those vintage Shug McGaughey training jobs where all of a sudden you have a horse that once they hit 4 and 5 [years old] and they’re still in the program, they’re excelling. Hopefully the best is yet to come with this guy.”
Flavien Prat, up in the Red Smith, will be in town to ride. Prat leads Ortiz Jr. this year in stakes wins (71-63) and graded-stakes wins (45-35) nationally.
Michael Iavarone, Jules Iavarone et al’s 6-year-old Steal Sunshine (Post 1, 20-1) is seeking his first win on turf, with one second in four previous attempts. The eight-time winner has won four stakes highlighted by the 2024 Gulfstream Park Mile (G2) and comes in off a 1 ½-length victory in the 1 1/16-mile Finallymadeit overnight handicap.
Rounding out the field are three-time Grade 3-placed Siege of Boston (Post 4, 20-1), fifth by 1 ½ lengths in last year’s Fort Lauderdale; stakes winner Beach Gold (Post 5, 8-1); Naptown (Post 7, 30-1); Quatrocento (Post 9, 20-1) and Grade 3-placed Divin Propos (Post 10, 8-1).
