Sacco has Mind Control 'raring to go' in Woody Stephens

Mind Control’s run seven furlongs twice in his career. Both times, he emerged victorious in graded stakes company.

The 3-year-old son of Stay Thirsty will look to make it 3-for-3 at that distance Saturday at Belmont Park as Mind Control takes on the Grade 1, $400,000 Woody Stephens Stakes on the Belmont Stakes card.

Trainer Gregg Sacco conditions Mind Control for Red Oak Stable and Madaket Stables LLC.

“He’s really filled out and matured,” Sacco said. “He’s a man now. Mind Control is a super-talented colt. I can’t be happier with where he is in his training. 

“I think the two-month spacing, he’s raring to go. … We’re expecting a big effort from him on Saturday.”

Mind Control won his second time out last August in a six-furlong maiden special weight race at Monmouth Park. He moved on Sept. 3 to Saratoga’s seven-furlong Hopeful Stakes (G1), which he won by ¾ of a length over second-place Mucho.

Mind Control’s team kept the 2-year-old in Grade 1 company but stretched him to 1 1/16 miles Nov. 2 for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. He was never a factor at Churchill Downs, crossing the line seventh in the 13-horse field.

So far as a 3-year-old, the colt’s run three times, all at Aqueduct. He won the one-mile, non-graded Jerome Stakes on New Year’s Day, crossed second in March 9’s mile-long Gotham Stakes (G3), then claimed victory last out April 6 at seven furlongs in the Bay Shore Stakes (G3).

For his career, Mind Control has earned $520,900 over his seven starts, winning four of them.

Sacco said that early on in Mind Control’s 3-year-old season, his management team discussed the Triple Crown trail. They ultimately decided to campaign him at shorter distances, including the seven furlongs he’ll face Saturday in the Woody Stephens.

Should Mind Control emerge well from that race, Sacco said he’ll point toward the H. Allen Jerkens Memorial (G1). That seven-furlong event for 3-year-olds takes place Aug. 24 at Saratoga.

“(The racing team) wanted to keep him at 7/8ths up to a mile for now,” Sacco said. “That’s not to say in the future that won’t change. 

“But right now, they’re comfortable running him at that distance knowing how talented he is at 7/8ths up to a mile.”

Mind Control is one of two 3-year-old colts Sacco will send to the track Sunday in Elmont, N.Y. 

The other is Joevia, a non-graded stakes winner who’ll take a shot at the Belmont Stakes. Joevia’s connections chose that race over the $150,000 Pegasus Stakes – which figures to feature Maximum Security – later this month at Sacco’s home base of Monmouth.

“It’s a privilege to run on Belmont day and we’re happy to bring two quality colts to New York this coming week,” Sacco said. “We hope both our colts perform well.”

Joevia could emerge as the barn’s contender for the July 20 Haskell Invitational (G1), Monmouth’s $1 million race run at nine furlongs.