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Mind Control "right on schedule" for G3 Gotham

by NYRA Press Office

• New York-bred Not That Brady improving as Gotham looms
• Brown eyes newly established Turf Triple Series
• Busher Invitational contender Ujjayi breathing easy after Ruthless win
• Haikal, It Justhitthe Wire could make for interesting Gotham Day for McLaughlin

Red Oak Stable and Madaket Stables' Mind Control looks to be in fine fettle grinding out works at Belmont Park in preparation for the Grade 3, $300,000 Gotham for 3-year-olds on Saturday, March 9 at Aqueduct Racetrack, trainer Gregory Sacco said Friday morning.

"Knock on wood, he's right on schedule and we can't be doing any better," Sacco said.

An official prep race for the Kentucky Derby, the Gotham will award 50 points to the winner, 20 for second, 10 for third and five for fourth.

The Gotham is one of four stakes on a packed day, along with the Grade 3, $200,000 Tom Fool Handicap for 4-year-olds and up going six furlongs and the $150,000 Stymie for 4-year-olds and up going one mile. Also on the day is the Gotham's female counterpart, the $250,000 Busher Invitational for 3-year-old fillies that offers the same 50-20-10-5 points structure for the Kentucky Oaks.

Mind Control made a splash this summer at Saratoga Race Course. After running second in his debut on July 5 at Delaware Park, he finished strong for a three-length win at second asking on August 12 at Monmouth Park.

Stepping up in class when he arrived at the Spa, Mind Control went gate-to-wire to win the Grade 1 Hopeful. That win marked Sacco's first career Grade 1 victory and propelled him into a start in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile in November at Churchill Downs, where he ran seventh after a troubled start.

Following a two-month respite, Mind Control came back strong on New Year's Day, posting a front-running 1 ½-length win in the Jerome, a "Road to the Kentucky Derby prep" at Aqueduct, earning 10 points towards qualifying for the "Run for the Roses." That point total is tied for ninth-most heading into the weekend.

After earning a personal-best 89 Beyer Speed Figure, Mind Control will again be competing off a two-month break entering the Gotham.

"It always helps the horse to have time between races, it's just the way it worked out," Sacco said. "We skipped the [Grade 3] Withers [on February 3] to run in the Gotham. We're happy where he is with his training and where he's at physically. The two months is beneficial and we're coming in with a fresh, strong horse for the Gotham."

Since the win in the one-mile Jerome - the same distance as the Gotham - the Stay Thirsty colt has breezed four times at Belmont, including a four-furlong work over the training track in 49.25 seconds on Monday.

The Kentucky homebred has adjusted to the Empire State after spending the first half of 2018 stabled at Good Chance Farm in Florida before being shipped to Monmouth Park for the second half of the year, according to his conditioner.

"He's adapted to New York really well," Sacco said. "He's settled in nicely and it's been a real pleasure training here at Belmont. We can get a lot out of the works training on the deep track. He's matured and filled out. We're very happy we chose this New York path."

Sacco said Joevia came out of his stakes debut fine after running second in the Jimmy Winkfield on February 9 at Aqueduct. Owned by Michael Fazio and Jeff Fazio, Joevia won his debut on July 15 at Monmouth and dueled gamely in the stretch last week, finishing second by a neck to Haikal in the seven-furlong sprint.

"He really performed well and we're very pleased," Sacco said. "We're looking forward to his next race. That next stop isn't determined yet, but we'll see how he progresses and make a decision by the end of the month."

Joevia, a Shanghai Bobby colt bred by Ikhana Farm, is also stabled at Belmont.

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New York-bred Not That Brady improving as Gotham looms

Not That Brady, co-owned by Michael Imperio, Lianna Stables and his trainer Rudy Rodriguez, went from claim to fame with his victory in the Damon Runyon, and will look to add a graded win to his resume when he steps forward in the Grade 3 Gotham on March 9, at Aqueduct.

The Big Brown gelding, out of popular stakes winner Lisa's Booby Trap, was claimed for $50,000 out of a fourth-place effort in his August 23 debut at Saratoga Race Course.

After faltering in his October 20 debut for new connections when last of ten in an off-the-turf sprint at Belmont Park, Not That Brady has posted two wins and two seconds, including a last out second, defeated just a head, in the Grade 3 Withers where he picked up four Kentucky Derby qualifying points.

"We were very disappointed with the effort at Belmont when he was eased. I still don't know why he ran so bad," said Rodriguez. "So, we put him back on the grass and it came off the turf, but he ran a big race to be second. So, we just kept going that direction."

In the Withers, held February 2 at Aqueduct, Not That Brady broke from the outside post in a field of seven under Reylu Gutierrez and was prominent throughout over nine furlongs when narrowly bested by Tax.

"In the Withers, he ran a very good race. He lost a lot of ground into the first turn. We broke to the outside and maybe if he had a horse outside of him, he would have broke better, but I was very encouraged to see him finish off the way he did. You don't expect to run that good first time going a mile and an eighth," said Rodriguez.

The veteran conditioner said he is not in a rush to put the chestnut back on the work tab.

"We might breeze on Monday or Tuesday. He's training good, feeling good and the Withers was a hard race for him, so I don't mind giving him a couple of weeks off," said Rodriguez.

Rodriguez is cautiously optimistic about whether he's conditioning a potential Kentucky Derby contender.

"I'm not sure of that, but I know he's improving, and we have to keep our fingers crossed that he keeps improving. He's going very good right now," said Rodriguez.

Not That Brady, bred in New York by KatieRich Farms, will compete in the Gotham, which offers 50-20-10-5 Kentucky Derby qualifying points, for the benefit of the Belmont Child Care Association (BCCA). The owners have collectively committed 10 percent of Not That Brady's Gotham purse earnings to the BCCA, and his jockey, Reylu Gutierrez and agent Jimmy Riccio, have promised an additional 25 percent.

Not That Brady will turn back to a mile for the Gotham, a distance at which he owns a perfect in-the-money record.

"He has two wins and a second going a mile. Hopefully we break a little better and put ourselves in the race early," said Rodriguez. "He's got plenty of speed to put himself in a good position and if they leave him alone a little bit, he can carry his speed."

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Brown eyes newly established Turf Triple Series

Chad Brown, who has been a dominant presence on the New York Racing Association circuit in registering four consecutive year-end training titles plus three consecutive Eclipse Awards for Outstanding Trainer from 2016-18, is already setting course for the recently announced Turf Trinity and Turf Tiara, part of the 2019 Turf Triple Series offering $5.25 million in purse money for sophomores over three legs at Belmont Park and Saratoga Race Course.

"It's certainly an initiative we'll target for our stable this year with the hopes we can do well and that it will continue to grow in the next couple of years and bring forward some good competition," said Brown.

The Turf Trinity is comprised of the Grade 1, $1 million Belmont Derby Invitational at 1 ¼ miles on July 6, as part of the Stars & Stripes Festival, along with the newly created $1 million Saratoga Derby on Sunday, August 4 at 1 3/16-miles and the $1 million Jockey Club Derby on September 7 at Belmont Park at 1 ½-miles, offering a 'Win and You're In' berth to the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Turf.

The Turf Tiara, for sophomore fillies, includes the Grade 1, $750,000 Belmont Oaks, along with inaugural $750,000 Saratoga Oaks, at 1 3/16 miles at the Spa, and the $750,000 Jockey Club Oaks at Belmont Park at 1 3/8-miles on September 7.

Klaravich Stables' Newspaperofrecord, the Brown-trained undefeated Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf Champion, is already an early favorite to capture the Turf Tiara.

Brown said the filly is in good condition ahead of her 3-year-old campaign.

"She's doing awesome," said Brown. "We're going to take our time and map out a campaign for her, but she's really been doing great since her Breeder's Cup win and is in great shape."

For more information on the Turf Triple Series, visit https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/turf-triple-series.

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Ujjayi breathing easy after Ruthless win

Ujjayi, trained by Erin McClellan for owner-breeder T.L. Wise, earned her first stakes score in her January 27 Aqueduct debut when besting a field of seven in the Ruthless.

The Pennsylvania-bred will now look to establish herself as a contender for the Kentucky Oaks when she bursts from the gate in the $250,000 Busher Invitational on March 9 at the Big A, a qualifying race offering 50-20-10-5 points towards the "Lilies for the Fillies" slated for May 3 at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky.

"She's doing better than ever. She came out of the race up there in good order. The Busher is a race we're interested in and it will be a good test," said McClellan.

The lightly-raced daughter of Smarty Jones has posted a record of two wins and two seconds from four starts, with her Ruthless score coming in her third start off a layoff after finishing second twice in stakes events to the undefeated Please Flatter Me.

Her rail-skimming stakes score is flattered by the fact that the filly was unable to train extensively into the Ruthless due to inclement weather which closed the track at her home base at Penn National.

"The way she did it (in the Ruthless) was impressive because our track was closed the week into it. To her credit, she was able to handle being on the inside, over a little deeper surface than here and she was pretty game," said McClellan. "That said, it was probably the first race she ran where she was completely tight and ready to run. Even though we couldn't train, she had the bottom in her.

"She showed us that she has so much grit and so much heart," continued McClellan. "She just didn't want to give it up."

McClellan will use the Busher, a one-turn mile, as an opportunity to stretch her filly out while she tries to get a handle on just how far Ujjayi can carry her speed with the nine-furlong Kentucky Oaks as a long-term dream.

"In terms of the Oaks, she'll really have to prove she can go a route then, but with the Busher at a mile, I think that will suit her," said McClellan. "I love that it's one turn. As far as company goes, it will be a tougher race but it's still a good stepping stone race. With the exception of ones that are absolute freaks, I think horses need that progression."

The Ruthless score was only the second stakes win for McClellan and the first for owner-breeder Wise. McClellan noted that Wise has already turned down a significant offer for the filly as the duo continue to point to Grade 1 glory in Kentucky.

"My owner, that's his dream, and whether we're good enough to get there I don't know. He's turned down a lot of money for the filly already, but I think he wants to keep her and go for his dream," said McClellan.

McClellan, who picked up her first stakes win last year at Delaware Park in the Strike Your Colors with Well Graced, said she is enjoying the challenge of determining just how talented Ujjayi is.

"It's hard for me to gauge what I really have, because I've never had one like this before. So, you wonder, how good is she really? I'm not a pessimistic person, I'm actually very optimistic but I'm a realist too. I'm almost afraid to believe we really have something that could be that good, but I hope we do," said McClellan.

The conditioner said that having a filly of this caliber has lifted the spirits of her entire barn.

"It's been great for everyone. I'm excited for Luis Negrieros who grooms her," said McClellan. "He's an old school horseman and has worked with bigger horses before but gave it up stay here and have a family. He loves her. He's all in."

With the Busher Invitational circled on her calendar, McClellan said that Ujjayi is expected to return to the work tab over the weekend.

"She two-minute licked on Monday. I toyed with breezing her and went with a two-minute lick instead, and she did that very handily. I'm hoping we'll see a work for her on Sunday," said McClellan.

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Haikal, It Justhitthe Wire could make for interesting Gotham Day for McLaughlin

Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said Shadwell Stable's Haikal came out of his victory by a neck in the Jimmy Winkfield on February 9 in good order and remains on target for the Grade 3 Gotham.

Since running second in his debut on November 10, the Daaher colt has won his last two races. All three of his starts have been contested at the Big A and decided by a neck, with a come-from-behind maiden-breaking victory earned in the final jump on December 15 and a late push up the rail to edge Joevia last out in the Jimmy Winkfield, contested at seven furlongs.

Haikal will stretch out to the Gotham's one-mile distance for the first time, and the results could determine if he will cut back to seven furlongs in the Grade 3, $250,000 Bay Shore or press on and compete in the Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial at 1 1/8 miles, McLaughlin said. Both races are on Saturday, April 7.

The Kentucky homebred has already amassed career earnings of $133,900 and will be looking to earn Kentucky Derby qualifying points. Should Haikal run in the Wood, he will be competing in a race that will award 100-40-20-10 points towards Derby qualifying.

"It's a great progression from seven furlongs to a mile, and the Gotham is good timing. We'll decide after the Gotham whether we go Bay Shore or Wood Memorial," McLaughlin said. "He's done everything right. Last time, he squeezed through a tight spot down on the rail. It's an encouraging sign."

Haikal has been based at Belmont Park since October and registered five official workouts since turning 3, including a three-furlong work in 37.47 seconds on the Belmont dirt training track on February 6.

After the Jimmy Winkfield win, McLaughlin praised Rajiv Maragh's ride. The jockey is 2-for-2 aboard Haikal.

"The horse and rider worked together really well," McLaughlin said. "It's a big positive. He handled him very well. We're excited now to step up. It'll be a much tougher race and we'll learn where we are what direction we'll go."

On Gotham Day, the $250,000 Busher will offer 3-year-old fillies the same 50-20-10-5 points structure towards qualifying for the Kentucky Oaks, with McLaughlin set to saddle a contender in that contest as well with It Justhitthe Wire looking to make headlines in her stakes debut following four starts in maiden special weights.

The Bernardini filly crossed the wire first in her debut on August 19 at Saratoga before being disqualified and placed third. She officially broke her maiden in her fourth start, notching a 5 ¾-length score in a seven-furlong sprint over a sloppy Gulfstream Park track on January 27.

"She won impressively last time and hopefully she can get the distance," McLaughlin said.