Withers hopefuls put in workouts
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Mind Control, the Grade 1 Hopeful and Jerome stakes winner, returned to the work tab Tuesday, breezing a half-mile in 48.77 seconds over Belmont Park’s training track. He is working toward an expected start in the Grade 3, $250,000 Withers Stakes at Aqueduct on Feb. 2.
“He’s thriving right now – very happy,” trainer Gregg Sacco said. “It was almost like a gallop for him.”
John Velazquez is committed to ride Mind Control in the Withers, according to his agent, Angel Cordero Jr. Velazquez is 2 for 2 aboard Mind Control. Manny Franco will ride Moretti, a Todd Pletcher trainee whom Velazquez won a maiden race on.
Tax, the Remsen third-place finisher, and Le General, winner of two straight New York-bred races, both put in workouts Wednesday for the Withers.
At Belmont, Tax worked a half-mile in 49.23 seconds over the training track. Trainer Danny Gargan, who was not on hand for the breeze, said Rolando Quevedo, his assistant who breezed Tax, told him “this is the best work [Tax] has ever had. He’s getting better and better and stronger.”
At Aqueduct, Le General worked five furlongs in 1:04.08 over a deep main track. Le General went his first quarter in a quick 24.05 seconds, but came home in a pokey 40.03 seconds without much of a gallop-out. Le General had recorded two bullet works prior to Wednesday.
