My Boy Tate, Davis top another good day with win in Hollie Hughes

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - My Boy Tate and jockey Dylan Davis continued their streaking ways Monday at Aqueduct with Davis guiding the 4-year-old gelding to a one-length victory over Eye Luv Lulu in the $100,000 Hollie Hughes Stakes.

The victory was the fifth straight for My Boy Tate, a gelding by Boys At Tosconova. It was the third win on the eight-race card for Davis, who Sunday won six races, tying a New York Racing Association record for wins on a single card. Davis just missed a fourth win on Monday’s card, losing a head bob aboard Chilly Bon Bon in race 3.

“Great day again, following a six-win day,” Davis said. “Incredible.”

Unlike Sunday, when he didn’t ride a single favorite, Davis rode three betting choices on Monday including My Boy Tate, sent off at odds of 1-2 in the field of eight.

My Boy Tate, who had been on or just off the lead in his four previous victories, broke outward from post 8 and bumped with Tribecca. My Boy Tate was five-wide early and 2 1/2 lengths off the pace-setting Eye Luv Lulu, who was being pursued by Tribecca through an opening quarter in 22.45 seconds.

My Boy Tate advanced into third and was about two lengths behind Eye Luv Lulu approaching the quarter pole. My Boy Tate passed Tribecca at the eighth pole and kept charging at Eye Luv Lulu, whom he corralled inside the sixteenth pole.

Eye Luv Lulu finished second by 1 1/4 lengths over Tribecca. It was 5 3/4 lengths back to Saratoga Giro, who was followed by Foreset, Celtic Chaos, Bass River Road, and Gypsum Johnny. Candid Desire, last year’s Hollie Hughes winner, scratched.

My Boy Tate, owned by Little Red Feather Racing Stable and trainer Michelle Nevin, covered the six furlongs in a solid 1:10.23 over a muddy track and returned $3.10.

“The track was very heavy so it took him a couple of strides to get running,” Davis said. “He had no problem getting back into pace and he did everything great.”

After the slow break, Nevin credited Davis with “not panicking, not rushing, but easing him to where he wanted to be and he was in striking range when the running started.”

After adding the Hollie Hughes to a victory in last month’s Say Florida Sandy Stakes, My Boy Tate is likely headed to open company, with the Grade 1 Carter on April 7 a race that will be considered.

“We’ll take a look at the numbers and see who’s going in there and then figure things out,” said Billy Koch, head of Little Red Feather Racing.

** Racing resumes here on Friday as Aqueduct begins a seven-week stretch in which it will race just three days a week.