Amundson always a winner in Hollie Hughes Stakes

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Even after entries, trainer Horacio DePaz wasn’t sure he was going to run Amundson in Monday’s $100,000 Hollie Hughes Stakes at Aqueduct. Owner Barry Schwartz, who has had uncanny success in this stakes for New York-bred sprinters, convinced DePaz to run.

“I got something going for me that nobody else has,” Schwartz, who had won this race five previous times, said from Southern California.

What Schwartz and DePaz really had was a very fast horse. Amundson, making his first start in 79 days, flashed that speed from start to finish under Jorge Vargas Jr. to record a front-running, two-length victory in the Hollie Hughes at Aqueduct. My Boy Tate, the 2-1 favorite, rallied to get second by a neck over Morning Breez.

Binkster was fourth, followed by Cerretalto, Eye Luv Lulu, Arthur’s Hope, and P J Advantage.

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Amundson joined Schwartz’s roster of Hollie Hughes winners that included Thepromonroe (1998), Papua (2003-04-05), and Captain Serious (2015).

Amundson won a pair of New York-bred allowance races at Belmont in the fall. He then finished sixth in the City of Laurel Stakes against open company where he broke poorly and couldn’t make the lead.

“I really believe he’s a nice horse,” Schwartz said. “I had to throw out that Maryland race. I thought it was time to step up and find out what we had.”

Vargas hustled Amundson to the front out of the gate, running an opening quarter in 22.20 seconds while maintaining a half-length advantage over Eye Luv Lulu. Amundson was able to open up a two-length advantage after a half-mile in 45.44 seconds.

While the pace prompters faded, Amundson opened up and easily held a late-running My Boy Tate at bay.

Amundson, a 4-year-old gelding by Curlin, covered the six furlongs in 1:10.87 and returned $33.60.

“I know I’m going a little fast but nobody’s really putting pressure on me,” Vargas said. “I took advantage of it, I relaxed my horse pretty good and he really [finished] when it was time to go.”

DePaz said he was happy to see Amundson into the race early on.

“My main concern was just to get him into the race, he likes to get into a fight,” DePaz said. “I thought maybe he’d be laboring there at the end and somebody was going to catch him, but he tries. That was a tough field.”