Captain Serious leads field for Mike Lee Stakes

ELMONT, N.Y. – As the Chicago Blackhawks were relying on Jonathan Toews to keep their hopes alive for a repeat trip to the Stanley Cup finals, trainer Mike Hushion is counting on Captain Serious – named in honor of Toews – to give him a repeat victory in Saturday’s $125,000 Mike Lee Stakes at Belmont Park.

Barry Schwartz is the owner of Captain Serious, and his son-in-law is a diehard Blackhawks fan. Toews is the 26-year-old captain of the Blackhawks, who entered Friday night trailing the Los Angeles Kings 3-2 in the best-of-seven Western Conference finals.

Captain Serious, a gelding by Successful Appeal, went 2 for 2 in April at Aqueduct, winning both races by 1 1/4 lengths but running a bit faster in his April 26 allowance win than in his maiden victory April 5.

“I thought his second race was definitely better in every way,” said Hushion, who won last year’s Mike Lee with Amberjack. “Third time out, he should still be getting better – nice, strong, sound horse.”

Hushion trained Madame Diva, the mother of Captain Serious. “I knew she could run,” he said. “She never got to be what she could be. He’s run well. Seven-eighths should fit him, I would think.”

Hushion sends out two others in the Mike Lee – Loki’s Vengeance and Freddie G. Loki’s Vengeance, a son of Frost Giant, is coming off a 1 1/4-length victory in the New York Stallion Stakes at 6 1/2 furlongs April 27. Prior to that, he got used up in a speed duel in the Grade 3 Bay Shore Stakes.

“I don’t think he’s that rank,” Hushion said. “He gets worked up before the race, but once the race starts, I think he’s fine.”

Manuel Franco rides Loki’s Vengeance from post 9.

Lining up inside of him is Freddie G, who comes off a first-level New York-bred allowance win when going a mile here May 4 and allowed to press a modest pace.

Uncle Sigh, second in the Withers and Gotham and 14th in the Kentucky Derby, is entered in the Mike Lee but is not certain to run. Trainer Gary Contessa said he is looking at two or three options in addition to the Mike Lee.

“Plans over the next couple of weeks are open,” Contessa said.

Empire Dreams was second to Loki’s Vengeance in a division of the Stallion Stakes on April 27. Breaking from the rail, Empire Dreams may have been used hard earlier than trainer Tom Albertrani would have wanted. Empire Dreams has the rail Saturday but will have a new rider in John Velazquez.

“It seems like he’s drawn the inside more than once in the past,” Albertrani said. “We’re hoping we don’t need to rush him leaving there this time around. Hopefully, we’ll let him settle in behind the front-runners and see how he leaves there, let Johnny run his own race.”

Swell, second to Captain Serious in a first-level allowance race April 26, and John’s Island, a winner of his last two, are other contenders in the field.

Prairie Stone shortens up

When Hushion elected not to run the Grade 1 winner Artemis Agrotera in the $125,000 Bouwerie Stakes, that made the seven-furlong race a wide-open affair.

Prairie Stone, a daughter of Stonesider, is coming off two consecutive victories going long and now shortens up to seven furlongs for trainer Bruce Brown.

“It’s probably not her best distance, but there are not a lot of spots for 3-year-old fillies, so we want to take a shot,” Brown said. “You never know. If it’s a fast pace, she’ll come running.”

The last time Flipcup faced New York-breds, she won the East View Stakes by 4 1/2 lengths. She cuts back to a one-turn race after finishing third in a first-level allowance race May 2 at Churchill.

Joel Rosario rides from the rail.

The Mark Hennig-trained, Alan Brodsky-owned entries of Elmra and Irish Sweepstakes and the 12 1/2-length maiden winner Isabelle are the other contenders in the field.