| Sunday, January 18, 2015 Captain Serious hangs on grimly to win Hollie Hughes By Jenny Kellner OZONE PARK, N.Y. - With a resurgent run through the final yards, favored Captain Serious held off a bevy of late challengers to win Sunday's 37th running of the $100,000 Hollie Hughes for New York-breds at Aqueduct Racetrack. With Jose Ortiz aboard, the 4-year-old Successful Appeal gelding broke from the outside post position 6 and was content to run in second, just outside stablemate I'm Stoked, as he led through an opening quarter-mile in 23.15 seconds, with the half going in 46.34. Sweeping wide on the turn and into the stretch, Captain Serious took a clear lead but was confronted again by Crafty Dreamer, I'm Stoked and Geaux Mets before digging down and holding on to win by three-quarters of a length. "We had a perfect post; I knew I'm Stoked was going to go [to the front.]," said Ortiz. "I broke good, sat, and everything went perfect. I was pretty confident in the horse when he got that post. He's so game, and he was ready for today." Captain Serious' winning time for the six furlongs over a sloppy inner track was 1:10.70. "I think he was waiting on horses once he got the lead," said winning trainer Mike Hushion, who has now taken six editions of the Hollie Hughes: 1998 (Thepromonroe), 2003-05 (Papua) and 2010 (Rereadthefootnotes). "It was good to see him back on the winner's circle." The Hollie Hughes marked the first victory in nearly nine months for Captain Serious, who opened his career with three straight wins, including the Mike Lee, before finishing second in the Grade 3 Dwyer and third in the Grade 2 Amsterdam, closing out his 3-year-old campaign with a record of 3-1-3 from nine starts. As the 3-2 favorite, he returned $5.30 for a $2 win bet and earned $60,000 for his owner and breeder, Barry K. Schwartz. Crafty Dreamer closed to finish a head ahead of I'm Stoked, with Geaux Mets checking in another head back in fourth. Completing the order of finish were Big Business and Jeter. John's Island was scratched. -30- | 
