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Rematch of last year's 1-2 finishers highlight Monday's Hollie Hughes

by Brian Bohl

Zilla Racing Stable's Celtic Chaos will look to return to the winner's circle for the first time in seven months as part of a nine-horse field in the fourth running of the $100,000 Hollie Hughes for New York-bred 4-year-olds and up at six furlongs on Monday at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Carded as Race 8 on the Presidents Day slate, Celtic Chaos, who finished second by a neck in last year's Hollie Hughes, will look to build on a third-place effort last out in the Say Florida Sandy at seven furlongs on January 13 at Aqueduct. The 5-year-old son of Dublin was pinched at the start before rallying on the muddy and sealed main track.

"He got squeezed a little last time, but he overcame it. We don't want to change too much, but we'd like to see a fast pace this time," trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said.

Celtic Chaos won three consecutive starts from April to July last year, culminating with back-to-back victories by a neck over Eye Luv Lulu in the Affirmed Success and Ostrolenka in the Jim Morrissey, respectively. After running fourth in the Grade 1 Vosburgh on September 30 at Belmont, Celtic Chaos twice ran out of the money before earning an 86 Beyer Speed Figure in his last start. He will now cut back to a distance in which he has posted two wins and four second-place finishes in eight career races.

"He's doing well and obviously we'd like a better pace, but he's training well and ready to go," McLaughlin said.

As regular jockey Eric Cancel recovers from injury, Trevor McCarthy will have the call from post 7.

Candid Desire is the reigning Hollie Hughes winner and will be looking to earn black type in a stakes race for the first time since edging Celtic Chaos at the wire last year, finishing on the board just three times in his last 12 starts overall.

Trained by Gary Sciacca, Candid Desire will have jockey Angel Arroyo in the irons, leaving from post 4.

My Boy Tate will look to register his fifth straight win after capturing the Say Florida Sandy in his stakes debut, wiring the field to win by three lengths. The Michelle Nevin trainee earned a personal-best 98 Beyer, improving to 4-1-1 in seven career starts.

Dylan Davis, who piloted the 4-year-old to his stakes win, will have the return call from post 8.

Eye Luv Lulu finished fourth behind My Boy Tate in his last effort and will be looking for his first stakes victory in 15 career attempts, drawing post 6 for trainer Jason Servis. The 7-year-old Pollard's Vision gelding ran second in the 2016 edition of the Hollie Hughes. Jockey Manny Franco will ride.

Rounding out the field is Saratoga Giro out of post 2, who parlayed a runner-up performance in the Leon Reed Memorial on October 9 at Finger Lakes into consecutive strong showings in allowance races at the Big A; Gypsum Johnny, for trainer Linda Rice, out of post 3; Tribecca, trained by Sciacca, out of post 9; and a pair of Rudy Rodriguez trainees in Bass River Road in leaving post 5 and Foreset from post 1.