Vekoma Seeks Grade 1 Victory vs. Mind Control in Carter

The June 6 Runhappy Carter Handicap (G1), postponed from early April when the COVID-19 pandemic put racing on hold in New York, seems worth the wait.

Originally a $400,000 race at Aqueduct Racetrack, the seven-furlong sprint at Belmont Park carries a $250,000 purse but with no reduction in depth or quality. All 11 entries are stakes winners, led by graded winners Vekoma, Mind Control, Firenze Fire, and Performer.

Due to stakes postponements and cancellations, the race is still the first grade 1 sprint of the year in North America. As a Breeders' Cup Challenge "Win and You're In" event, it provides the winner with a paid automatic berth into the Nov. 7 Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) at Keeneland.

The Carter's prestige made it appealing to the connections of 4-year-old Vekoma, the winner of last year's Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G2) and the 2018 Nashua Stakes (G3). 

"For any colt that is a graded stakes performer or whatnot, as much talent as he has and the résumé he has, the one thing that is missing is a grade 1 win," trainer George Weaver said. "Obviously, that would be a big feather in his cap and, obviously, a significant change in his value as a stallion."

Though the Blue Grass came around two turns at 1 1/8 miles, three of Vekoma's victories have come around one turn, ranging in distance from six furlongs to a mile, the trip over which he won the Nashua. His lone start of 2020 came at the Carter distance when he won the March 28 Sir Shackleton Stakes at Gulfstream Park for owners R. A. Hill Stable and Gatsas Stables.

"I think he's a horse that's smart enough, talented enough to win at several different distances," Weaver said. "We'll just kind of pick our way through the year. At some point, God willing, we can decide which Breeders' Cup race in which we'd like to try him."

Javier Castellano will ride the son of Candy Ride , and Weaver also starts longshot Majestic Dunhill for R. A. Hill Stable.

Already established at the grade 1 level is Mind Control, a winner of six stakes, all around one turn. He captured the Hopeful Stakes (G1) at 2 and the H. Allen Jerkens Stakes (G1) at 3, both at Saratoga Race Course.

He is unplaced in one start at Belmont, though it came with multiple excuses. He stumbled badly at the start and was impeded in early stretch when finishing eighth in the Woody Stephens Stakes (G1) on Belmont Stakes Day last year.

He also stumbled leaving the gate in his most recent start, the March 7 Tom Fool Handicap (G3) at Aqueduct, though he somehow managed to rally successfully from seven lengths off the pace to win.

"He gets a little antsy in there," trainer Greg Sacco said of the colt's periodic gate issues. "He tries to come out of there running a little too fast."

Owned by his breeder, Red Oak Stable, and Madaket Stables, the 4-year-old son of Stay Thirsty  has made over $1 million by winning seven of 12 starts. 

John Velazquez will be aboard Mind Control, the highweight at 124 pounds under the race's handicap conditions. He spots the opposition two to 10 pounds.

Sacco and Weaver hold the field in high regard, both envisioning Performer, a Speightstown  colt owned by Phipps Stable and Claiborne Farm, as a major threat.

After a debut third at Aqueduct in November 2018, Performer went 4-for-4 as a 3-year-old last year, a campaign that culminated in a victory over Tax in the Nov. 30 Discovery Stakes (G3) at Aqueduct. He has not raced since but has trained steadily toward his season debut for Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey, first at Payson Park in Florida and over the past couple of weeks at Belmont.

"We're looking forward to getting him started," McGaughey said. "He's gotten bigger and stronger. If we can get a good, solid effort out of him and move ahead, we'll be happy. He had four solid races last year, and I think it got him to this year in good position."

Performer will break from post 2 under Joel Rosario.

Leading the field with nine stakes victories is Firenze Fire. Victorious in the Champagne Stakes (G1) at 2, he came close to winning the Vosburgh Stakes (G1) at Belmont last fall at 4, beaten a nose by the now-retired Imperial Hint.

Since a fifth-place finish in the Breeders' Cup Sprint at Santa Anita Park, he has rattled off three consecutive victories, capped by the Feb. 15 General George Stakes (G3) at Laurel Park for Ron Lombardi's Mr. Amore Stable.

Firenze Fire makes his first start for trainer Kelly Breen after being trained by Jason Servis, whose license was revoked in March after he was indicted on federal charges for the alleged use of misbranded and adulterated drugs. Per requirements for horses trained by Servis and fellow indicted trainer Jorge Navarro, Firenze Fire could not race for at least 60 days and had to pass testing.

The 5-year-old son of Poseidon's Warrior will break from the inside post with Manny Franco aboard.

Other graded winners in the Carter include Still Having Fun and American Anthem, who both won the Woody Stephens Stakes when it was a grade 2. Still Having Fun took the race in 2018, and American Anthem won it the year before.

Entries: Runhappy Carter H. (G1)

Belmont Park, Saturday, June 06, 2020, Race 9

• Grade I
• 7f
• Dirt
• $250,000
• 3 yo's & up
• 5:36 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Firenze Fire (FL)	Manuel Franco	122	Kelly J. Breen	7/2
2	2Performer (KY)	Joel Rosario	119	Claude R. McGaughey III	3/1
3	3Still Having Fun (MD)	Dylan Davis	117	Timothy L. Keefe	20/1
4	4Nitrous (KY)	Jose L. Ortiz	118	Steven M. Asmussen	15/1
5	5Network Effect (FL)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	116	Chad C. Brown	8/1
6	6Midnightcharly (PA)	Mychel J. Sanchez	115	Edward J. Coletti, Jr.	50/1
7	7American Anthem (KY)	Kendrick Carmouche	117	Danny Gargan	15/1
8	8Bon Raison (KY)	Eric Cancel	114	David A. Cannizzo	30/1
9	9Majestic Dunhill (KY)	Reylu Gutierrez	116	George Weaver	20/1
10	10Mind Control (KY)	John R. Velazquez	124	Gregory D. Sacco	4/1
11	11Vekoma (KY)	Javier Castellano	119	George Weaver	7/2