I'm Stoked will gun for the front in Hollie Hughes Stakes
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Mike Hushion has won five runnings of the Hollie Hughes Stakes and has a potent 1-2 punch in I’m Stoked and Captain Serious entered in Sunday’s 37th running of the sprint stakes for older New York-breds over Aqueduct’s inner track.
In I’m Stoked, a 5-year-old son of Hook and Ladder, Hushion has the main speed of the race, a horse who has won two straight races and is 4 for 7 over the inner track. In Captain Serious, Hushion has a 4-year-old son of Successful Appeal who will come from off the pace and is 3 for 4 in sprints against New York-breds.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 3 I'm Stoked. Trainer Michael Hushion is 15-5-2-3 with a $3.47 ROI over the past three years in dirt sprints with last-out winners in the second start following a layoff. Click for more details. – Dan Illman
:: Learn more about Formulator | Buy Formulator PPs
:: Follow the @DRFFormulator Twitter feed and get free Formulator facts
If Hushion is to get his sixth victory in the Hollie Hughes, he will have to defeat two runners trained by David Jacobson, who has won the last two runnings of the Hollie Hughes. On Sunday, Jacobson sends out Big Business, who cuts back to six furlongs after winning the Alex M. Robb at 1 1/16 miles, and Geaux Mets, who last won in August at Finger Lakes.
The others entered in the Hollie Hughes are Jeter, John’s Island, and Crafty Dreamer.
:: DRF Live: Get real-time updates and insights from DRF reporters and handicappers on Sunday
KEY CONTENDERS
I’m Stoked (Last 3 Beyers: 93-90-70)
◗ As his 7-0-0 record from 12 starts suggests, it’s all or nothing with I’m Stoked, who does loom as the primary speed in this field under Manny Franco.
◗ I’m Stoked won the Leon Reed Memorial at Finger Lakes in October and an optional claimer here Dec. 15 when offered for the $62,500 tag. Three horses he beat that day, Monster Mash, Green Gratto, and Big Guy Ian, race earlier on the card in a second-level allowance race.
“I liked the race. They were getting to him, but he wasn’t collapsing at all,” Hushion said. “He was still running.”
◗ Hushion said his instructions to Franco “will be to go, no matter what.”
◗ Hushion won the Hollie Hughes in 1998 with Thepromonroe, in 2003-05 with Papua, and in 2010 with Rereadthefootnotes.
Captain Serious (Last 3 Beyers: 92-92-87)
◗ He began his career with three straight sprint victories against New York-breds, including the Mike Lee Stakes.
◗ He comes off a third-place finish behind Salutos Amigos in the Grade 3 Fall Highweight, run over a sloppy track. He broke a step slowly despite wearing blinkers for the first time.
“My guess is the blinkers didn’t matter,” said Hushion, who is leaving them on for this race. “I don’t know how much he cared for the track. I like the [outside] post position for him; get him in last and bust away.”
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 7 Captain Serious. Trainer Michael Hushion is 11-3-4-1 with a $2.16 ROI over past five years in dirt sprint non-graded stakes following a layoff of between 45 and 60 days. Click for more details. – Dan Illman
Big Business (Last 3 Beyers: 98-96-93)
◗ He comes off a solid victory in the Alex M. Robb at 1 1/16 miles. He has not raced at six furlongs since September 2012 – 21 starts ago – when he won a $35,000 claiming race at Belmont.
“My concern in the back of my head is that he’s coming off this distance race not that long ago,” Jacobson said. “I know he’ll be flying at the end, but on the inner track, will he be able to get up?”
◗ Jacobson won the Hollie Hughes in 2014 with Be Bullish and in 2013 with Saginaw.