Donald Dizney’s First Dude caught Regal Ransom in the final jump to win the  $358,500 Alysheba  S. (G3) for 3-year-olds and up by a nose May 6 at Churchill Downs.

Trained by Bob Baffert and ridden by Martin Garcia, First Dude is a 4-year-old homebred son of Stephen Got Even out of the Smart Strike mare Run Sarah Run. First Dude ran the mile and a sixteenth on a fast main track in 1:42.56.

First Dude, who was fifth in the run down the backside and racing in the clear, moved five wide at the head of the stretch and eventually wore down a very game Regal Ransom in the final yards.

An overjoyed jockey Martin Garcia took away nothing but positives. “Look at my silks. They’re all clean. I had a perfect trip. It was real close at the finish, but I thought I had it. I had plenty of horse when I needed it. Mr. Bob (Baffert) said just let him run his own race. Let him be happy. So that’s what I did. He was a happy horse today. Now we’re all happy.”

"When I got him from Dale (Romans) he looked great,” said Baffert. “He's a very sound horse. Dale did a great job with him and, unfortunately, he was having to run against Lookin At Lucky last year. But now he's a big, solid, sound horse and he likes this track. I'm glad he won here. I'm just trying to get him to the Breeders' Cup.

“After the Big 'Cap (G1 Santa Anita Handicap, finished 6th), the way he ran, I didn't think he wanted to run like that, putting him on the lead. I think he wants to run like Point Given. We figured out how Point Given wanted to run after the Derby and he wants to run that way -- let him breathe air, let him settle and he'll come running. And it worked, so we have a totally different horse now.

“I thought he got beat. I saw the slow motion and thought, ‘Well, I'll split it with them.’ I would have taken a dead heat when I first saw it. I have no idea (what’s next)."

The victory was worth $213,379 and increased First Dude’s earnings to $1,142,139, with a record of 16-3-5-4. The colt finished second in the 2010 Preakness (G1) and third in the Belmont S. (G1) when he was trained by Dale Romans. He won an allowance race for Baffert at Santa Anita last time out.