Mind Control Plays Mind Games in Tom Fool
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Photo: Coglianese Photos/Chelsea Durand
Mind Control wins the Tom Fool Handicap at Aqueduct Racetrack
When trainer Gregg Sacco gave Junior Alvarado a leg up on favored Mind Control in the $213,000 Tom Fool Handicap (G3), he told the veteran jockey to "ride his race."
Midway on the final turn, Sacco was wondering what he had done.
Normally close to the pace, the multiple grade 1 winner was fifth, a little more than seven lengths off the lead.
Even when Alvarado steered to the outside for a clear run at the top of the stretch, the homebred son of Stay Thirsty was still about eight lengths behind Happy Farm, who was drawing off to what appeared to be an insurmountable lead.
That's when Sacco heard something that made him chuckle.
"My son told me Mind Control was going to win," Sacco said. "I just laughed off as him being young and not seeing enough races."
Well, score one for youth.
Staging a furious and improbable rally, Red Oak Stable and Madaket Stables' Mind Control not only caught Happy Farm, but he went by and recorded a 1 1/4-length win as the 125-pound highweight in the six-furlong stakes on the March 7 Gotham Stakes Day undercard at Aqueduct Racetrack.
"I didn't think he'd be that far back, but he's a special horse. He has some kick," Sacco said. "We'll take it one race at a time and savor this one, but it should set us up nicely for the (Carter Handicap, G1, April 4 at Aqueduct)."
Sacco said the reason for the drama in the stretch was because Mind Control ($4.80) stumbled coming out of the gate in the field of eight and was running on his wrong lead.
"He was on his wrong lead halfway down the backstretch. (Junior) didn't want to correct him and get him discombobulated. So he switched him to his right lead midway on the backside and when he pushed him to the outside, he said he exploded. He said, 'Wow.'"
The connections of Happy Farm no doubt had something much different to say. Owned by M and A Racing and trained by Jason Servis, the 6-year-old Ghostzapper gelding led by five lengths at the eighth pole before Mind Control whizzed past, covering the six furlongs in 1:10.88. Flying P Stable's Bon Raison was two lengths back in third.
It was the seventh win out of 12 starts for the son of Red Oak's Lightnin N Thunder mare Feel That Fire, Mind Control also owns grade 1 wins in the Hopeful Stakes and the H. Allen Jerkens Stakes. The victory pushed his earnings to $1,003,000.
Diamond King Sparkles in Stymie
Fresh after a four-month break, Diamond King ($10.20) returned to the races in stellar form as he led much of the way en route to a 1 1/4-length victory in the $126,500 Stymie Stakes on Saturday's Big A card.
It was the first stakes win since the 2018 Federico Tesio Stakes for the 5-year-old son of Quality Road owned by Cash is King and LC Racing and trained by John Servis, the same connections that captured the featured Gotham Stakes (G3) with Mischevious Alex.
Diamond King wins the Stymie Stakes
In posting his first start since finishing fifth behind Maximum Security in the Oct. 26 Bold Ruler Handicap (G3), Diamond King snapped a six-race losing streak dating back to a March 2019 win in an allowance optional claiming race at Gulfstream Park.
Owner Chuck Zacney of Cash is King said Diamond King would be pointed to another try in the $1 million Charles Town Classic Stakes (G2) April 18 at Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races. He was second in last year's race.
Don Tiger's American Anthem was second, 1 1/4 lengths ahead of Charles Hallas' Backsideofthemoon.
Michael and Jeff Fazio's Joevia was last in the field of seven and trainer Gregg Sacco afterwards that he believes the colt who was third in the 2019 Belmont Stakes (G1) may have displaced his palate.
Video: Tom Fool H. (G3)