Bay Shore proves the right spot for Mind Control

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Trainer Gregg Sacco wanted to run in the Wood Memorial and give Mind Control a chance to earn a spot in the Kentucky Derby. Rick Sacco, Gregg’s younger brother and the racing manager for the Brunetti family’s Red Oak Stable, wanted to run Mind Control in the Bay Shore, keeping him around one turn and doing what he’s excelled at thus far in his career.

At entry time, Rick Sacco won out. On race day, everybody was a winner as Mind Control validated Rick Sacco’s decision by recording a professional 1 1/4-length victory in the Grade 3, $250,000 Bay Shore going seven furlongs at Aqueduct.

Mind Control, ridden by John Velazquez, ran by pacesetter Much Better just above the eighth pole. Much Better, under Victor Espinoza, finished second by 5 3/4 lengths over Call Paul. It was 7 3/4 lengths back to Mucho in last. Longshot Mount Travers was scratched.

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The victory was the fourth from seven starts for Mind Control, a son of Stay Thirsty owned and bred by Red Oak Stable. Mind Control has won three stakes including the Grade 1 Hopeful at seven furlongs last summer at Saratoga and the listed Jerome here on New Year’s Day at a one-turn mile.

“He thought in his development this would be the right choice for him, and my brother was right for once,” quipped Gregg Sacco. “Usually I’m right. My brother realized the way he’s performed, how talented he is up to a mile – they didn’t want to chew him up in the Derby fever.”

Rick Sacco said he didn’t caught get up in chasing the Derby dream.

“It really never crossed my mind,” Rick Sacco, the younger brother, said. “We own the mare, we raced the mare, we bred the horse we know the horse inside and out. We just thought he was a middle-distance horse from the get-go. When we get that Derby horse, I think we’ll know.”

The Bay Shore played out on the track as it figured to on paper.

Much Better, who set wicked fractions in the Gotham, set a more controlled pace of 22.33 seconds for the quarter and 45.14 for the half under Victor Espinoza in the Bay Shore. Velazquez had Mind Control a length off Much Better.

In the lane, when Velazquez asked Mind Control to go after Much Better, he did, collaring him just before the eighth pole. Velazquez had to work a little bit to get by and coaxed Mind Control to the wire in the final sixteenth.

Mind Control covered the seven furlongs in 1:23.45 and returned $6.30 as the 2-1 second choice.

“Once I got to him at the three-sixteenths pole, he put his head in front of him and he kind of waited,” Velazquez said. “But I didn’t have to go too hard on him. For whatever reason he seemed like he was more focused in what he needed to do today.”

Said Gregg Sacco: “He’s a tough horse. The one word to describe him is he’s genuine.”

Mind Control will be pointed to the Grade 1 Woody Stephens at Belmont on June 8.

On that, the Sacco brothers can agree.