Red Oak Stable and Madaket Stables' Mind Control (Stay Thirsty), privately purchased out of a maiden win a little over three weeks ago, shook off some early pace pressure and dug in late to hold off heavily favored 'TDN Rising Star' Mucho (Blame) in the GI Hopeful S. at Saratoga. Given a 10-1 chance in Saratoga's closing-day feature, the bay broke well and dueled early on with 'Rising Star' Nitrous (Tapit) through splits of :22.96 and :45.68. Cutting the corner into the lane, he appeared likely to be overhauled by the imposing Mucho in the three path, but kept on finding to deny that one by just under a length, completing the seven furlongs in 1:22.99 and giving veteran trainer Gregory Sacco the first Grade I of his career.
“Our intent was to let Nitrous go because the way he rated last time, we thought if we got him in position, Johnny [Velazquez] could make a move on him when he thought it was the right time,” Sacco said. “He has gears. He ran a great race against Call Paul [in his debut July 5 at Delaware Park] and then at Monmouth, but then you have to do it on the big show. We had a lot of horse at the quarter pole. Johnny said he was actually waiting a little bit. He's still a little green and learning.”
Valezquez added, “He settled pretty easy along the backstretch and got settled to the turn. Once we reached the three-eights pole and I asked him, he was full of run. I was real proud of the way he finished he came on and never relinquished.”
The Sacco family has been staples of the Monmouth Park backstretch for decades; Sacco's father William was the leading trainer at the New Jersey oval in 1962.
“It's my first Grade 1 [win], so it's real special,” Sacco said. “I'm the son of a trainer. My dad never had the opportunity to train these types of horses. It's very meaningful. It's a great feeling. I have my whole family here and I can't be any happier.”
Mind Control was second behind subsequent GII Saratoga Special winner Call Paul (Friesan Fire) in his July 5 debut at Delaware Park. The Red Oak homebred graduated going six furlongs at Monmouth Park Aug. 12 and Sol Kumin's Madaket Stables joined the ownership line after that convincing three-length victory.
Sacco said the Nov. 2 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Churchill Downs was a logical goal for Mind Control.
“I'll have to discuss it with the [owners], but I would think so,” he said. “I don't think the distance will give him limitations. The way he's trained and galloped out last race, he's just a genuine horse. He has a ton of ability. The main thing is that he's so smart. He acts like an older horse and does everything right. For a young horse, it's a big plus. He'll go back tomorrow morning to Monmouth. We'll savor this win and go from there.”
Pedigree Notes:
Stephen Brunetti, son of the late Hialeah owner John Brunetti, recently added Grade I winner Unbridled Mo to the Red Oak broodmare band, which is based at Darby Dan and already includes stakes-winning homebred full-sisters Feel that Fire and Ima Jersey Girl. Feel that Fire, winner of the 2011 Blue Sparkler S. at Monmouth Park, produced a filly by Bodemeister in 2017 and, with no reported foal in 2018, was bred back to Mineshaft. Ima Jersey Girl has a weanling filly by Goldencents and was bred back to Street Boss. Mind Control's second dam is the unraced Ubetwereven (French Deputy), who produced a filly by Orb this year for Red Oak and was bred back to that GI Kentucky Derby winner.
Mind Control is the first North American Grade I winner for 2011 GI Travers S. winner Stay Thirsty (Bernardini). The stallion was also represented by last year's GII Amsterdam S. winner Coal Front and multiple graded stakes placed Thirstforlife.
Monday, Saratoga
HOPEFUL S.-GI, $350,000, Saratoga, 9-3, 2yo, 7f, 1:22.99, ft.
1–MIND CONTROL, 118, c, 2, by Stay Thirsty
1st Dam: Feel That Fire (SW, $147,280), by Lightnin N Thunder
2nd Dam: Ubetwereven, by French Deputy
3rd Dam: Raysor Lake, by Private Account
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN, 1ST GRADE I
WIN. O-Red Oak Stable (Brunetti) & Madaket Stables, LLC;
B-Red Oak Stable (KY); T-Gregory D. Sacco; J-John R.
Velazquez. $192,500. Lifetime Record: 3-2-1-0, $220,900.
Werk Nick Rating: A.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.[bullet ad=”sallusto-albina-private-purchase-double”][bullet ad=”equix-optimatch”][bullet ad=”kbif-g1″]2–Mucho, 118, c, 2, Blame–Extent, by Pulpit.
'TDN Rising Star' O/B-Claiborne Farm & Adele B. Dilschneider
(KY); T-William I. Mott. $70,000.[bullet ad=”claiborne”]3–Nitrous, 118, c, 2, Tapit–Speedinthruthecity, by City Zip.
'TDN Rising Star' O-Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC & Stonestreet
Stables LLC; B-Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC (KY); T-Steven M.
Asmussen. $42,000.
Margins: 3/4, 2 1/4, HF. Odds: 10.10, 1.15, 4.70.
Also Ran: Sombeyay, Dream Maker, Thatwouldbegrand, Backtohisroots, Derby Date. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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