Fever Knocks Mind Control Out of BC Dirt Mile

The Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) lost one of its potential starters a few hours before the Nov. 1 post position draw at Del Mar when trainer Todd Pletcher withdrew Red Oak Stable and Madaket Stables' Mind Control  from the race due to a fever.

"It's very unfortunate. He has a slight temperature and you have to be 100% to run in these races. It has been treated. We're giving him some liquids. We'll get him happy again and regroup," said Rick Sacco, racing manager for Red Oak. "He breezed Friday and shipped Sunday (from New York) to Del Mar and nothing is easy in the horse racing business. It's one of those things. You can ship 10 times and nine times everything's fine. This is the 10th. It's all part of the game."

Sacco said Mind Control will be kept in training and will return home to New York to point for the Dec. 4 Cigar Mile Handicap (G1) at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Mind Control, a 5-year-old son of Stay Thirsty  , is a multiple grade 1 winner, having captured the Hopeful Stakes (G1) at 2 and the H. Allen Jerkens Stakes (G1) at 3. He was coming off a victory over Dirt Mile starter and Hill 'n' Dale Metropolitan Handicap (G1) winner Silver State   in the Parx Dirt Mile.

The news was first reported via Twitter by Daily Racing Form.

Pletcher still has a strong hand for the Dirt Mile as he also trains WinStar Farm and China Horse Club's Life Is Good , the likely favorite in the Nov. 6 race.

Also dropping out of the Breeders' Cup Monday was Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners' June 16 Queen Mary Stakes (G2) winner Quick Suzy , who spiked a temperature in the wake of her trip from Ireland to Del Mar, the ownership group reported via Twitter. Eclipse Thoroughbreds said the 2-year-old daughter of Profitable , who had been slated to run in the Nov. 5 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G2T), will make California home with trainer Paddy Gallagher.