Bay Shore no gimme for Mind Control

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – The connections of Mind Control may have wisely chosen to keep their horse around one turn, but they certainly didn’t find an easy spot in Saturday’s Grade 3, $250,000 Bay Shore Stakes going seven furlongs at Aqueduct.

Mind Control originally was kept in New York this winter with eyes on the Wood Memorial – a two-turn 1 1/8-mile race on Saturday that serves as a prep for the Kentucky Derby – but the decision was ultimately made to keep Mind Control around one turn for now.

While there are only five horses in the Bay Shore, it’s a pretty salty group.

Mind Control knows three of his rivals well – Call Paul, Mucho, and Much Better. Mind Control finished second to Call Paul when both made their career debuts last summer at Delaware Park. Mind Control beat favored Mucho in the Grade 1 Hopeful going seven furlongs at Saratoga. Mind Control finished second, a half-length in front of Much Better, who was fourth, in the Grade 3 Gotham here on March 9.

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“We do know he’s super talented and tough up to a mile,” said Gregg Sacco, the trainer of Mind Control. “With that being said, this is a very good field and everyone’s going to have to have their running shoes on in the race.”

Mind Control had typically run his best races on the front end. In the Gotham, however, when the early pace was fast, Mind Control ran well from well off the pace, beaten one length by Haikal. Mind Control breaks from post 3 under John Velazquez in the Bay Shore.

“He’s trained super since the Gotham; really strong and happy going into this race,” Sacco said. “I like the post. We’ll see how it unfolds once they leave there. I think Much Better will go and we’ll be in a good tracking spot. We’ll see if we’re good enough.”

Much Better set ambitious early fractions in the Gotham, opening up a 3 1/2-length lead through a quarter in 44.42 seconds. He was beaten only 1 1/2 lengths. He, too, had been under consideration for the Wood.

“Right now, I want to cut back a little bit,” trainer Bob Baffert said. “He has natural speed. He went way too fast last time. It was a ridiculous pace, but he didn’t get beat very far.”

Victor Espinoza will ride Much Better from the rail.

Mucho came off a six-month layoff with a first-level allowance win going six furlongs at Gulfstream Park on March 1.

“He ran okay the other day,” trainer Bill Mott said. “He didn’t wow you. I thought it was a good comeback race being off that long, but he’s got to continue to improve.”

Call Paul has won his last two races, both at seven furlongs, including the Grade 3 Swale at Gulfstream Park. Call Paul likely will be trying to come from off the pace under Manny Franco.

“I think seven-eighths might be his best distance,” trainer Jason Servis said.

Mount Travers was the last horse to enter the Bay Shore. Trainer Linda Rice said Thursday she was undecided if the horse would run.