Mind Control Awaits Invaders in Gotham Stakes

After extending the party for his connections with his New Year's Day victory in the Jerome Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack, grade 1 winner Mind Control will look to take another step toward the classics March 9 when he starts in the $300,000 Gotham Stakes (G3).

It will be familiar ground for Mind Control, who in his first start in two months returns to the one-turn mile at Aqueduct. But some tough new shooters have arrived in New York in grade 1 winner Knicks Go, easy Best Pal Stakes (G2) winner Instagrand, and grade 3-placed Much Better.

The Gotham is a Road to the Kentucky Derby points race, offering qualifying points to the top four finishers (50-20-10-5).

John Velazquez guided Red Oak Stable and Madaket Stables' Mind Control to victory in the Jerome, and trainer Gregory Sacco thinks the Hall of Fame rider will find a more mature horse Saturday. The son of Stay Thirsty  has had seven workouts at Belmont Park since his Jerome victory, which earned him 10 Derby qualifying points.

"Everything has gone according to plan. For the most part, he hasn't missed a beat. He's filled out, he's stronger, and his works have been well within himself. He couldn't be doing any better going into the Gotham," Sacco said. "He's really push-button now. He understands what we want him to do, and if Johnny elects to sit off a hot pace, I'd be comfortable with him doing that. I think he'll fire, and we'll see if we're good enough when the running starts."

If not for a seventh-place finish in the Sentient Jet Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1), where Mind Control was in tight and bobbled at the start, he would be entering Saturday's race on a three-race win streak. After a maiden victory in August at Monmouth Park, Mind Control delivered a frontrunning score in the Hopeful Stakes (G1) in September at Saratoga Race Course. Sacco believes he could still progress.

"Our horse is going to have to improve, but we're expecting an effort like the Jerome," Sacco said. "He's going into this race better than he went into the Jerome in terms of maturity and filling out. He's really starting to put the muscle on in the right places."

Mind Control certainly figures to be tested as Hall of Fame trainer Jerry Hollendorfer has shipped in OXO Equine's Instagrand from his Southern California base. The son of Into Mischief  will likely be favored in his 3-year-old debut after a juvenile season that saw him win his maiden special weight debut by 10 lengths before overwhelming rivals in the six-furlong Best Pal at Del Mar in a 10 1/4-length victory.

Instagrand, who left California early Wednesday morning, worked four furlongs in :47 4/5 Tuesday at Santa Anita. 

"The workout went very nice. He went a very nice half-mile with a good gallop out," Hollendorfer said. "We think we have him prepared (for stretching out in distance). We're very happy to have Javier Castellano riding. I feel like our horse has speed, and I think he can also rate if we have to."

Hollendorfer isn't the only Southern California-based Hall of Fame trainer starting a horse in the Gotham. Bob Baffert has entered Three Chimneys Farm's Much Better, who followed a third-place finish in the Jan. 5 Sham Stakes (G3) at Santa Anita with a frontrunning score there in a Feb. 9 optional-claiming allowance race. Mike Smith, aboard in the most recent win, will ride.

Also making his first start since Feb. 9 is Knicks Go, who disappointed as the 9-5 favorite in the Sam F. Davis Stakes (G3) that day at Tampa Bay Downs, finishing fifth. Trainer Ben Colebrook thinks the son of Paynter  can return to the form that saw him win last year's Claiborne Breeders' Futurity (G1) and run second in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile.

"I think he did need that last race, especially on that Tampa track, which can be a little tiring at times," Colebrook said. "I think he'll like the configuration (at Aqueduct), but the surface is a question mark. He has tactical speed, which will help him. Maybe now that he's in a race where he's not the favorite, like the last two, maybe he'll go back to the old Knicks Go."

The field also includes three of the top four finishers from the Jimmy Winkfield Stakes Feb. 9 at Aqueduct in Shadwell Stable's Haikal, winner of that seven-furlong race; third-place Tikhvin Flew, and fourth-place Family Biz. Not That Brady is entered off his runner-up finish in the Feb. 2 Withers Stakes (G3) at Aqueduct.

"The Gotham is a prestigious race," said Sacco. "And with Baffert and Hollendorfer joining the cast this weekend, it makes for a really great event for NYRA fans. It's exciting for us to be in the race, and we're hoping for a good outcome."

The race will be broadcast live on "Fox Sports Saturday At The Races," airing 4-7 p.m. ET on FS2.

Entries: Gotham S. (G3)

Aqueduct Racetrack, Saturday, March 09, 2019, Race 10

• Grade III
• 1m
• Dirt
• $300,000
• 3 yo
• 5:09 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Family Biz (KY)	Kendrick Carmouche	118	Edward R. Barker	30/1
2	2Knicks Go (MD)	Jose Lezcano	123	Ben Colebrook	12/1
3	3Mind Control (KY)	John R. Velazquez	123	Gregory D. Sacco	9/2
4	4Much Better (KY)	Mike E. Smith	118	Bob Baffert	10/1
5	5Haikal (KY)	Rajiv Maragh	120	Kiaran P. McLaughlin	6/1
6	6Instagrand (KY)	Javier Castellano	123	Jerry Hollendorfer	1/1
7	7Not That Brady (NY)	Reylu Gutierrez	118	Rudy R. Rodriguez	5/1
8	8Tikhvin Flew (KY)	Dylan Davis	118	Steven M. Asmussen	12/1