Wudda U Think Now cruises to victory in Hollie Hughes Stakes

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Trainer Rudy Rodriguez said he remembers telling owner Stuart Grant that Wudda U Think Now was good enough to win a stake race. Saturday, at Aqueduct, the 5-year-old Wudda U Think Now was good enough to win the $100,000 Hollie Hughes Stakes for New York-breds.

Shedding aside early pressure from Runningwscissors in the six-furlong race, Wudda U Think Now opened up a sizeable advantage turning for home under Trevor McCarthy and registered a 4 1/4-length victory over two-time Hollie Hughes winner My Boy Tate. It was 5 1/4 lengths back to Jemography, who was followed in the order of finish by Runningwscissors and South Africa. Kaz’s Beach scratched.

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The win was the sixth from 14 starts for Wudda U Think Now, but his first from three tries in stakes company. The victory also followed up his 10 1/2-length victory in an allowance race here last month, for which he earned a 104 Beyer Speed Figure.

“Since we got him, I thought he was a very nice horse and I tell the owner I think we can win a stakes and thank God we got at least one,” Rodriguez said.

The victory capped a three-win day for both Rodriguez and McCarthy.

Breaking from the inside under McCarthy, Wudda U Think Now ran a quarter in 23.16 seconds and a half-mile in 46.78. He had Runningwscissors to his outside early, but had him put away by the quarter pole. The race was basically over as My Boy Tate made a mild bid, but never seriously threatened Wudda U Think Now.

McCarthy said the 23.16-second opening quarter “really helped” his cause.

“My thing was if I get a 23, that I was going to move him at the five-sixteenths and let him get going,” McCarthy said. “My Boy Tate, he’s going to be coming and he’s kind of a grinder. I wanted to get the jump on him a little bit and ride him to just about past the eighth pole and I felt pretty confident coming to the sixteenth pole.”

Wudda U Think Now covered the six furlongs in 1:11.17 and returned $3.30 as the 3-5 favorite.