Major Dude Making Title Defense in Fort Lauderdale (G3)
At 0h02, on December 18, 2025 • By Gulfstream Park
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.
