Sacco encouraged after Mind Control, Joevia start year with wins

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Mind Control and Joevia were both successful in their seasonal debuts at Aqueduct giving their trainer, Gregg Sacco, hope for a big year from the pair of 4-year-olds.

Mind Control, in his first start in 147 days, gutted out a nose victory over Nicodemus and Sunny Ridge in Saturday’s Grade 3, $150,000 Toboggan Stakes. Mind Control ran seven furlongs in 1:24.23 over a fast track that had some moisture in it from day-long snow and earned a career-best 98 Beyer Speed Figure for the performance.

Mind Control, a son of Stay Thirsty owned by Stephen Brunetti’s Red Oak Stable and Sol Kumin’s Madaket Stable, will be pointed to the Grade 1, $750,000 Carter Handicap here on April 4. It is likely he will train up to that race, though Sacco didn’t entirely rule out a start in between.

“He runs well fresh,” Sacco said. “If one race came in between that certainly wouldn’t hurt him, but it’s a long year, we’re not pressed, but this was big getting this one out of the way.”

Sacco was glad to see that Mind Control showed the same determination he had in many of his other races including the Grade 1 H. Allen Jerkens last Aug. 24 at Saratoga when he ran down Hog Creek Hustle by a nose. Saturday, with John Velazquez up from Florida to ride, Mind Control pressed the pacesetting Still Having Fun, took the lead outside the eighth pole and, despite waiting on horses, was able to outfinish Nicodemus and Sunny Ridge, who were noses apart at the wire.

“It wasn’t easy, I thought he was going to open up,” Sacco said. “Seventy-yards out I thought we were beaten. He’s tenacious. He kicked in when it counted.”

Mind Control is now 6 for 11 with earnings of $887,500.

Other races Sacco would like to point Mind Control this year include the Metropolitan Handicap in June, the Forego in August, and ultimately the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Keeneland in November.

Sacco said Mind Control looked good Sunday morning.

On Friday, Joevia returned from a 223-day layoff to win a second-level allowance race by a length. Sitting behind dueling leaders, Joevia kicked in when asked by Junior Alvarado, covering 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:18.87 and earning a career-best 95 Beyer Speed Figure.

Joevia will likely make his next start in the $125,000 Stymie, a one-turn mile race here on March 7 before ultimately getting back out around two turns in the spring. Joevia won the Long Branch Stakes at Monmouth last May and was third in the Belmont Stakes in June.

“I was really proud of the way he ran, I like the fact a couple of horses went out there and he had a target,” Sacco said. “The spacing, six weeks to the Stymie is good, and then we’ll look to stretch him out after that.”

Joevia, a son of Shanghai Bobby, is owned by brothers Jeff and Michael Fazio.