Wudda U Think Now poised to get well-deserved stakes victory in Hollie Hughes

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Wudda U Think Now has put forth several performances capable of winning a stakes race. Saturday, he’ll seek to do just that when he takes on the accomplished My Boy Tate and four other New York-breds in the $100,000 Hollie Hughes at Aqueduct.

Over his last eight starts going back 11 months, Wudda U Think Now has three wins and three seconds. Although Wudda U Think Now has never won a stakes, he has finished second in allowance races or stakes to the likes of Bank On Shea, who won last Saturday’s Pelican Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs; Following Sea, the Grade 2 Vosburgh winner; and Happy Medium, who had won three consecutive races before throwing in a clunker in the Grade 3 Toboggan.

:: Want to start playing with a $510 bankroll and have access to free Formulator? Learn more

Wudda U Think Now enters the Hollie Hughes off a dominant 10 1/2-length allowance victory here on Jan. 16. One could argue the gaudy margin was aided by an inside bias that day, but it still was a strong effort worthy of a 104 Beyer Speed Figure.

“I thought he was the horse to beat that day, but to see him do it that way was kind of special,” trainer Rudy Rodriguez said.

Trevor McCarthy rides Wudda U Think Now from post 2.

To win this year’s Hollie Hughes, Wudda U Think Now will have to beat My Boy Tate, the winner of the 2021 and 2018 Hollie Hughes. An 8-year-old gelding by Boys At Tosconova, My Boy Tate is a six-time stakes winner. Michelle Nevin bred, trains, and co-owns My Boy Tate along with Billy Koch’s Little Red Feather Racing.

My Boy Tate has crossed the finish line first in three of his last four starts, though he was disqualified and placed fourth in last month’s Say Florida Sandy Stakes for interference.

Nevin said that My Boy Tate remains the same ornery horse he’s always been.

“That’s how you know he’s doing good,” Nevin said. “If he’s ever quiet, I’ll just pass out. He’s kind of a bossy fella.”

Manny Franco takes over for Eric Cancel on My Boy Tate, who breaks from post 4.

My Boy Tate is the 124-pound co-highweight along with Jemography, who won the George Barker Stakes at Finger Lakes in August but has been soundly beaten in two starts since.

Runningwscissors was beaten 20 1/2 lengths by Wudda U Think Now in that Jan. 16 race, but raced wide throughout. He came back 12 days later to win an optional claiming race at 13-1 while on the front end.

Kaz’s Beach and South Africa look a bit overmatched on paper.