Mind Control ends racing career with thrilling Cigar Mile victory

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - On a dry track, there was little argument Mind Control would be the horse to beat in Saturday’s $750,000 Cigar Mile at Aqueduct. A 10-time stakes winner - including two Grade 1 victories - Mind Control was by far the most accomplished horse among the six runners in the last Grade 1 race of the year in New York.

But in the slop, Mind Control was a major question mark. His double-digit-length defeats in the Grade 1 Carter at Belmont and Grade 1 Forego at Saratoga in 2020 were two of the worst races of his career and were factors in him not running in the slop again.

Until Saturday.

With the Cigar Mile scheduled to be his final career start, and with no other alternative, Mind Control was left to make one start in the slop.

And though he gave jockey John Velazquez a few anxious moments early on, Mind Control prevailed in yet another fight, edging Get Her Number by a head in the Cigar Mile. White Abarrio, who snuck through an opening along the rail turning for home, was another half-length back in third.

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Zandon, the 3-5 favorite, finished a non-threatening fourth. Outlier, the longshot pacesetter, and Double Crown finished fifth and sixth. O Besos had been scratched earlier in the week.

The win was the 12th from 29 starts for Mind Control, a 6-year-old son of Stay Thirsty owned by the Brunetti family’s Red Oak Stable and Sol Kumin’s Madaket Stables who earned $2,185,834,. He gave trainer Todd Pletcher his sixth victory in the Cigar Mile.

“If you like horse racing you gotta love this horse,” said Pletcher, who trained Mind Control for the last nine starts of his career, taking over from Gregg Sacco in 2021. “He’s cool, he’s done it consistently year after year, multiple distances. He’s a great horse to be able to train, remarkably consistent, shows up every morning.”

Velazquez, who rode Mind Control in 20 of his 29 starts, said he’s the type of horse that keeps him riding at 51 years old.

“It’s a little sad to see him go because he’s one of those horses that keeps me in the game and looking forward to these kinds of races,” said Velazquez, who won his third Cigar Mile.

Velazquez was aboard Mind Control in the two sloppy track starts in which he didn’t run well. Though Mind Control broke sharply Saturday, Velazquez got a little worried the horse would not keep going toward the front, his customary spot.

“He seemed like he was going to go and then he came off the bridle, so I passed the chute and I put him into the bridle then he got comfortable,” Velazquez said. “I felt much better the way he was going towards the turn.”

Mind Control sat second, about 1 1/2 lengths behind Outlier through a half-mile in 46.55 seconds. Around the far turn, Mind Control was joined by Get Her Number on the outside and, turning for home, the pair took over from Outlier, though White Abarrio was a new threat coming up the rail under Irad Ortiz Jr.

Approaching the sixteenth pole, it was White Abarrio along the rail, Mind Control between horses and White Abarrio three-wide. But as he’s done so many times in close finishes, Mind Control prevailed by a short head.

It was the sixth time - all in stakes - that Mind Control had won by either a head or a nose.

“When [Get Her Number] put a head in front of me and did not pass me, I was like this is going to be a fight here,” Velazquez said. “Sure enough, when I went left-handed, he responded and it was a really good fight to the wire.”

Mind Control covered the mile in 1:35.53 and returned $8.30 as the second choice. He added the Cigar Mile to a resume that includes the Grade 1 Hopeful at 2 and the Grade 1 H. Allen Jerkens at 3. He won his fifth stakes at Aqueduct, a list that includes the Jerome, Bay Shore, Toboggan and Tom Fool.

Pletcher had no experience running Mind Control over a sloppy track, but in his training “he always galloped like he didn’t mind it. It worked out good.”

In the stretch, Luis Saez, aboard Get Her Number, thought he was on the winner.

“I thought we were going to beat him easy,” Saez said. “Tough horse to get by.”

And a tough horse to replace.

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