Mind Control turns it on late to win Tom Fool

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Trainer Gregg Sacco has always been confident that Mind Control could be successful from off the pace. But even Sacco was a little concerned when Mind Control was seven lengths back after a half-mile of Saturday’s six-furlong Tom Fool Stakes at Aqueduct.

But two-time Grade 1 winner Mind Control, with Junior Alvarado subbing for John Velazquez, exploded while five wide down the stretch and ran down the pace-setting Happy Farm to win the Grade 3, $200,000 Tom Fool by 1 1/4 lengths. Happy Farm was second by two lengths over Bon Raison, who was third.

Mr. Dougie Fresh was fourth, followed by Wentz, Wonderful Light, Sicilia Mike, and Skyler’s Scramjet.

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The win was the seventh from 12 starts for Mind Control, a 4-year-old son of Stay Thirsty owned by Red Oak Stable and Madaket Stable.

With the $110,000 first-place purse money plus an additional $4,500 for being a Silver member of the NYRA loyalty program (meaning this was his fifth or sixth start since last April 1), Mind Control surpasses the $1 million mark in career earnings ($1,003,000).

“He’s a special horse,” Sacco said. “I’ve used the word genuine. He’s genuine and he has a will to win.”

Mind Control bobbled leaving the starting gate and was on his wrong lead early on, which is why he dropped farther back off the pace than normal. Happy Farm, under Jose Lezcano, opened up a 1 1/2-length lead after running a half-mile in 46.17 seconds.

When Alvarado guided Mind Control outside and in the clear he began to make progress. However, Happy Farm still had a five-length lead with a furlong to go and looked home free.

With Alvarado giving some left-handed encouragement to Mind Control, the classy colt kicked hard and swallowed Happy Farm up late to win going away.

“I was in awe of him exploding down the lane like that,” Sacco said. “Happy Farm’s a really nice horse.”

Mind Control covered the six furlongs in 1:10.88 and returned $4.80 as the 7-5 favorite.

“I was probably a little further back than I wanted to be, but he’s an old pro - he knows where the wire is, he knows when to put the run in,” Alvarado said. “As soon as I put him on the outside by the three-eighth pole he knew what was going on and he started picking it up. Turning for home, I switched my stick to the left because it seems like he responds pretty well to that, and he was just flying at the end.”

Mind Control, who at 2 won the Grade 1 Hopeful and at 3 the Grade 1 H. Allen Jerkens, will try for a third Grade 1 victory in the Carter Handicap here on April 4.

Diamond King shines in Stymie

For the second straight year, Diamond King returned off the layoff with a superlative performance, this time recording a front-running 1 1/4-length victory in the $125,000 Stymie Stakes. American Anthem finished second by 1 1/4 lengths over Backsideofthemoon in third.

Lone Rock was fourth, followed by Wicked Trick, Stan the Man, and Joevia.

Diamond King, a 5-year-old son of Quality Road owned by Cash Is King and LC Racing, won for the first time since last March 22 when he came off a near six-month layoff to win an allowance race at Gulfstream. He went winless in six stakes tries thereafter, finishing second in a trio of races including the $1 million Charles Town Classic.

Saturday, he was making his first start since last Oct. 26 when he finished fifth to Maximum Security in the Grade 3 Bold Ruler Handicap.

“That’s the second time I’ve run him off the layoff and he’s run huge,” trainer John Servis said. “Last year, Jose [Ortiz] rode him off the layoff and he got off him and said ‘Man, this horse might be a Breeders’ Cup horse.’ I guess he’s better off running fresh.”

Saturday, with Kendrick Carmouche subbing for the injured Ortiz, Diamond King broke on top. Carmouche kept him in the three path and took some early pressure from Stan the Man and Joevia, as they went in 23.93 seconds for the opening quarter.

Joevia retreated first, but Diamond King still had Stan the Man hounding him until about the quarter pole when a stalking American Anthem, the 5-2 favorite under Manny Franco, became the threat.

But Diamond King still had something left and repelled the challenge of American Anthem, who weakened in the final furlong.

“I didn’t want to make the lead too early,” Carmouche said. “I let those horses inside, and around the turn I asked him to go because Manuel put a little pressure on me, so I let my horse run away from the other ones. He never really took off. I thought I had more horse, but he kept me there. I just kept motivating him.”

Diamond King covered the mile in 1:38.04 and returned $10.20 to win.

Servis said Diamond King would be pointed to the $1 million Charles Town Classic on April 18.