Control Group takes control to win Alex M. Robb Stakes

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Whether purchasing a horse privately or obtaining one through the claim box, owner Michael Dubb continues to prove adept at picking stakes winners.

On Sunday, Control Group, a horse Dubb claimed for $62,500 almost exactly one year ago, won his second consecutive stakes, cruising to a four-length victory under Kendrick Carmouche in the $100,000 Alex M. Robb at Aqueduct. That victory came one day after the 3-year-old World of Trouble, a private purchase Dubb made last fall, won the $75,000 Pasco Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs.

While it remains to be seen how World of Trouble will handle two turns – Dubb said he’ll get that chance in the Tampa Bay Derby on March 10 – Control Group has flourished since being stretched out around two turns. He has won four straight races at 1 1/8 miles around two turns.

The horse is reminiscent of Royal Posse, a horse Dubb claimed in 2015 for $20,000 who also succeeded around two turns and ultimately won four stakes and banked $887,175 for Dubb and his partners.

Control Group has now won six of nine starts and earned $351,770 for Dubb and David Simon.

“I’ve had such good luck with Posses,” said Dubb, noting that Posse sired both Royal Posse and Control Group. “They get better with age, and they seem to really love the two turns.”

Control Group also seems to love being in front early. Control Group won the Grade 3 Discovery in December in front-running fashion. On Sunday, it looked like he could get some early pressure from Wake Up in Malibu, drawn right to his outside.

But Control Group broke alertly, got to the front without much trouble and had a measured one-length lead, setting early fractions of 25.65 seconds and 50.16. From there, the race was basically over. Carmouche said trainer Rudy Rodriguez told him the horse could sit off Wake Up in Malibu if need be, but he didn’t need to do that.

“He broke good, I set [easy] enough fractions early where I could speed up from the three-eighths pole home,” said Carmouche, who won his fourth stakes race at Aqueduct this week. “Pretty much cruise control.”

Control Group won by four lengths over Can You Diggit, who was a three-wide stalking presence early. It was 2 1/2 lengths farther back to Extinct Charm in third. Testosterstone and Wake Up in Malibu completed the order of finish.

Control Group covered the 1 1/8 miles in 1:52.19 and returned $2.90 as the 2-5 favorite.

The Robb was originally scheduled for Dec. 31 but was delayed several times due to weather or insufficient entries.

“The couple of weeks we’ve had off waiting for the race, it looked like it benefitted him,” Rodriguez said. “I knew he was only going to get stronger coming off the race he ran last time.”

While Control Group relishes two turns, he may have to ship out of town or wait two months before he could find such a race in New York again. Control Group is eligible for the $90,000 Mr. Sinatra at 1 1/8 miles on March 31, a card billed as New York’s Claiming Championships. He could also wait for the Grade 3, $150,000 Excelsior on April 7.