Aqueduct: Be Bullish gives Rice first stakes win in Hollie Hughes
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - The old man and the young lady made quite the match in Monday’s $100,000 Hollie Hughes Stakes at Aqueduct.
Be Bullish, a 9-year-old gelding, rallied past 4-5 favorite Marriedtothemusic in midstretch and drew clear to a 2 3/4-length victory in the Hollie Hughes, winning it for the second time while making his fifth appearance in this sprint restricted to New York-breds. Be Bullish, who won this race in 2011, was ridden Monday by the leading apprentice jockey on this circuit, Taylor Rice, who captured her first career stakes victory.
“It’s awesome. There’s no better feeling than that,” said the 25-year-old Rice, who became the 23rd jockey to ride Be Bullish in his 75-race career.
Be Bullish won for the 15th time and the $60,000 first-place purse pushed his lifetime earnings $946,568.
“He’s awesome. He’s definitely a class act. He knows what he’s doing out there,” said Rice, who has won 25 races in two months since moving her tack here from Chicago.
David Jacobson trains Be Bullish and is part-owner along with his main client, Drawing Away Stable. Jacobson said he has been impressed enough with Rice that he had no qualms putting her on the gelding even though in a stakes race Rice does not get the five-pound weight allowance she receives in non-stakes events.
“She has a knack for winning and being in the right place at the right time,” Jacobson said. “That’s something that can’t really be taught. You either have it or you don’t.”
Jacobson, who trained Be Bullish from November 2012 through July 2013, certainly believes the gelding by Pure Prize still has it.
“I said after his last race he’s as good as he’s ever been. Today I guess proves I was right,” Jacobson said. “I watched his whole career. Scott Schwartz had him, Rick Dutrow had him. When Rick had him he was rally sharp. He’s close to that if not there.”
Be Bullish covered the six furlongs over a good inner track in 1:12.05 and returned $7.50.
Jacobson and Drawing Away won this race last year with Saginaw, a horse who suffered fatal injuries during the running of a race last August at Saratoga.
Marriedtothemusic, who took over the lead from pacesetting Freudian Dilemma in upper stretch, finished second by 2 1/4 lengths over Mine Over Matter. Johannesburg Smile, Freudian Dilemma, and Notmyfirstime, an entrymate of Be Bullish, completed the order of finish.