Mind Control to target Bay Shore instead of Wood Memorial

Mind Control, a multiple stakes winner around one turn, will make his next start at Aqueduct in the Grade 3, $250,000 Bay Shore Stakes at seven furlongs and not the Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial at nine furlongs, trainer Gregg Sacco said Friday.

That decision effectively removes Mind Control from consideration for the Kentucky Derby. Mind Control has 30 qualifying points for the Derby, which as of Friday put him 11th in the standings under the system used by Churchill Downs to determine the 20 horses for the Kentucky Derby.

Sacco said owner Steven Brunetti and his racing manager Rick Sacco (Gregg’s brother) and co-owner Sol Kumin felt more comfortable keeping Mind Control in one-turn races for the foreseeable future. Following the Bay Shore, Mind Control would likely be pointed to Grade 1 races such as the Woody Stephens (June 9 at Belmont) and H. Allen Jerkens (Aug. 24 at Saratoga). Last year, Mind Control won the Grade 1 Hopeful going seven furlongs at Saratoga. This year, he won the Jerome, a one-turn mile, and finished second in the Gotham, also a one-turn mile, at Aqueduct.

“The Bay Shore is a nice race to win, and the Woody Stephens and Allen Jerkens are very prestigious races,” Gregg Sacco said. “They want him around next year as a 4-year-old, and they don’t want to grind him up.”

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John Velazquez will ride Mind Control in the Bay Shore. On Friday, Mind Control worked five furlongs in 1:02 at Belmont.

Sacco will still be represented in the Wood by Joevia, the runner-up to Haikal in the Jimmy Winkfield at Aqueduct and the runner-up to Alwaysmining in the Private Terms at Laurel. On Friday at Belmont, Joevia worked a half-mile in 48 seconds in company with the unstarted 3-year-old Showmanship.

“He’s better now than he was before the Private Terms,” Sacco said. “It’s worth giving it a shot.”

Nik Juarez will ride Joevia in the Wood.

Haikal, who won the Gotham last out, worked a half-mile at Belmont in 49.60, with a final quarter of 24 seconds. He worked in company with the 4-year-old maiden Labeq.

Haikal will be making his first start around two turns in the Wood.

“We feel like he’ll do it physically and mentally,” trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said.

As of Friday, the prospective Wood field included Final Jeopardy, Grumps Little Tots, Haikal, Joevia, Not That Brady, Outshine, Overdeliver, Tax, and Tacitus. Come On Gerry was possible.

On Thursday at Belmont, Tax worked a half-mile in 47.80 seconds in company with the older horse Sir Ballantine.

“He broke off a little behind and finished even,” trainer Danny Gargan said. “He did it the right way. He’s coming into the race as good as you could want.”