ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Dallas Seavey of Willow won $3,000 in placer gold nuggets by arriving first early Thursday at Cripple, the halfway point in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.

This is Seavey's fourth Iditarod. Last year he finished sixth.

Satellite tracking shows mushers have left Cripple. John Baker of Kotzebue has the lead, followed by four-time champion Martin Buser of Big Lake and Bruce Linton of Kasilof.

The next checkpoint is at Ruby, and the next 150 miles will be on the Yukon River.

Six of the 71 teams that left Willow on Sunday have scratched.

The jockeying for the lead remains fluid as mushers take a mandatory 24-hour layover and two eight-hour rests.