NYRA/Coglianese Photo

Multiple Grade 1-winner Mind Control maintaining good form; Joevia back to breezing

by Keith McCalmont

• Multiple Grade 1-winner Mind Control maintaining good form; Joevia back to breezing
• Killybegs Captain remains under consideration for G3 Count Fleet at Oaklawn Park; Three Jokers possible for $100K Bachelor
• Sciacca hopes to continue strong clip
• Notables on the Belmont work tab

More than 400 horses appeared on the Belmont Park work tab on a busy Saturday morning including Red Oak Stable and Madaket Stables' Mind Control, who covered a half-mile in 49 flat on the Belmont Park dirt training track.

Trained by Gregg Sacco, Mind Control is a dual Grade 1-winner on the New York Racing Association (NYRA) circuit. The 4-year-old Stay Thirsty colt's ledger includes a pair of Grade 1 wins at Saratoga Race Course, beginning with the Grade 1 Hopeful as a juvenile and the Grade 1 H. Allen Jerkens in August.

Live racing on the NYRA circuit is currently on hold due to changing circumstances in the racing community relative to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, but more than 1,300 horses continue to train at Belmont Park.

Mind Control has breezed every seven days dating back to March 21 following his Grade 3 Tom Fool score on March 7 at Aqueduct Racetrack.

"We're keeping him on a weekly schedule right now," said Sacco. "We may skip a week here and there while waiting for a schedule from NYRA. We're pleased with how Mind Control is doing. I'm also pleased with the how the training track was this morning at Belmont. The track is in excellent shape right now."

The veteran conditioner said he had considered shipping the colt to Oaklawn Park for the Grade 3, $350,000 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap, a six-furlong sprint for 4-year-olds and up slated for April 18 at Oaklawn Park, but is now charting a course to Grade 1 sprint races at Saratoga Race Course.

"We considered the Count Fleet, but we can't ship our help and he's not the easiest horse to handle," said Sacco. "It's a long year. We're going to ride out the virus and look at longer term goals at Saratoga like the Vanderbilt and the Forego."

Jeff Fazio and Michael Fazio's stakes winner Joevia posted his first breeze back since a successful 'Llewellyn' surgery for a displaced pallet following an off-the-board finish in the Stymie on March 7 at the Big A, covering three furlongs in 35.91 on the Belmont Park dirt training track.

Third in last year's Grade 1 Belmont Stakes, the Stymie was the son of Shanghai Bobby's second uncharacteristic performance of the year after finishing 11th in the Grade 3 Razorback at Oaklawn Park in February.

"It was a little faster than I wanted, but he did it very easy," said Sacco of the breeze. "We scoped him after the work and everything was good. He missed a few weeks and was a little heavy, but I just wanted to let him stretch his legs. Hopefully, he's over the breathing issue that hurt him his last two starts."

Sacco is maintaining a positive attitude while waiting for a return to live racing in New York.

"Hopefully we can get Joevia back on track and find an allowance spot for him when Belmont opens back up," said Sacco. "We're trying to stay positive and be realistic about our goals."

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Killybegs Captain remains under consideration for G3 Count Fleet at Oaklawn

Curragh Stables' graded-stakes winner Killybegs Captain worked five-eighths in 1:00.97 Saturday on the Belmont Park dirt training track for trainer John Terranova.

Killybegs Captain, who recently returned from Dubai where he was a contender for the Dubai Golden Shaheen on the canceled Dubai World Cup undercard, is under consideration for the Grade 3, $350,000 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap, a six-furlong sprint for 4-year-olds and up slated for April 18 at Oaklawn Park.

"He looked great. It was a nice work and he looks to be in great shape," said Terranova. "We still have to figure out what we're going to do. There's some logistics to work out with the shipping. We'll see how he is in the next couple of days and figure out if we're able to ship. It's a possibility and we're still considering it, but it's not set in stone."

Gatsas Stables, R.A. Hill Stable and Swick Stable's multiple stakes winner Funny Guy worked five-eighths in 1:02.14 on Saturday for the busy Terranova barn. 

The 4-year-old New York-bred son of Big Brown, out of the Distorted Humor mare Heavenly Humor, won the NYSSS Times Square at the Big A and the Albany at Saratoga in a productive 2019 campaign that concluded with a sixth in the Grade 3 Oklahoma Derby at Remington Park.

"He's another one sitting on 'go', with no place to go," said Terranova. "He's been working right along for a while and everything is good with him."

Funny Guy's 3-year-old half-brother Three Jokers, by Twirling Candy, went five furlongs in 1:00.75 on Saturday morning. A winner at first asking in August 2019 at Saratoga, Funny Guy ran second in the Bertram F. Bongard in September at Belmont and completed his campaign in October with a fifth in the Sleepy Hollow.

Terranova said the $100,000 Bachelor, a six-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds slated for April 25 at Oaklawn, is a possibility for Three Jokers, who was bred in New York by Hibiscus Stable.

"He's a horse that could ship to Oaklawn. There's an allowance race for 3-year-olds coming up and a sprint stakes [the Bachelor] for 3-year-olds on the 25th," said Terranova. "We'll keep those races in mind and see what happens. Right now, I'm happy that all our horses are healthy and training well."

Also on the work tab Saturday for Terranova was the graded-stakes placed Syndergaard, who finished second in the Grade 1 Champagne as a juvenile.

Owned by Eric Fein, Christopher McKenna, Harris Fein, Guri Singh, and Jerry Walia, the 6-year-old chestnut breezed three furlongs in 36.93. The New York-bred son of Majesticperfection won the 2016 Funny Cide at Saratoga in his second career start ahead of his Champagne effort. Syndergaard, named for the New York Mets pitcher Noah Syndergaard, finished third last out in the Haynesfield on February 22 at the Big A.

Stan the Man, who boasts a record of 22-6-6-2 with purse earnings of $406,374, breezed three furlongs in 36.84. The 6-year-old Broken Vow gelding finished sixth last out in the Stymie on March 7 at the Big A. He won three-of-six starts last year including a score in the Queens County at Aqueduct.

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Sciacca hopes to continue strong clip

Trainer Gary Sciacca was enjoying a solid 2020 campaign before live racing was suspended at Aqueduct due to ongoing complications of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Sciacca, who oversees a stable of 25 horses on the Belmont backstretch, said he is starting to bring his horses back into full training.

"We gave them all a little break when this first started but now everyone has been working right along," said Sciacca. "NYRA really has done a great job here on the backstretch. They've been doing a lot of testing here and taking temperatures when we come in. I'm hopeful we'll be racing again soon."

Sciacca boasts a record of 46-7-7-8 in 2020 with purse earnings in excess of $400,000, including a smart score in the Gander by Eddie F Racing's Chowda in February at the Big A. The New York-bred Chowda, a dark bay son of Emcee, battled gamely on the lead with Bank On Shea in the one-turn mile Gander and stayed on strong down the lane for a 3/4-length win.

Chowda was set to follow-up that effort in the Damon Runyon on March 15, but was scratched on the morning of the race.

"We had to give him some time at the farm and he'll be back in about 40 days," said Sciacca. "It was nothing serious, just a small flake in his knee that we dealt with."

Bred in the Empire State by Fedwell Farm, Sciacca said Chowda will soon be joined at the barn by his 2-year-old full brother Lobsta.

Yellow Moon Stable's Hit It Once More breezed a bullet half-mile in 48.19 Thursday on the Belmont Park dirt training track. The 7-year-old New York-bred son of Hard Spun last raced on May 31 at Belmont Park.

"He had a little breather and he's doing really good right now," said Sciacca. "The owner has been very patient and we're looking forward to him running again soon."

Bred by JMJ Racing Stables, Hit It Once More captured the New York Derby at Finger Lakes in July 2016 and followed up with a win in the Albany at Saratoga a month later. In 2018, the hard-trying horse added the Haynesfield at the Big A and the Genesee Valley Breeders' at Finger Lakes to his ledger.

Five C's Stable and S and P Stables' Microscope, a good $40,000 claim for Sciacca out of a December maiden win at the Big A, breezed a half-mile in 50.54 at Belmont on Thursday. The New York-bred sophomore son of Micromanage finished first or second in each of his first four starts and was fifth last out in the Gander.

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Notables on the Belmont work tab

Harold Lerner, AWC Stables and Nehoc Stables' Pat On the Back breezed a half-mile in 49.11 Saturday on the Belmont Park dirt training track in his third breeze back following an off-the-board effort in the Grade 1 Cigar Mile on December 7 at Aqueduct.

Trained by Jeremiah Englehart, last year's Grade 2 Kelso champ was bred in New York by Sugar Maple Farm.

Backsideofthemoon, trained by Robert Klesaris for Charles Hallas, worked an easy half-mile this morning in 50.83. The 8-year-old Malibu Moon gelding captured the 2018 Jazil at Aqueduct and that same year finished third in the Grade 3 Philip H. Iselin at Monmouth. The ultra-consistent bay was second in the 2020 Jazil and last out finished third in the Stymie on March 7 at the Big A.

Noda Brothers' T Loves a Fight, winner of the 2017 Mike Lee, breezed five-eighths in 1:01.04 on Saturday at Belmont. The 6-year-old New York-bred boasts a career record of 38-11-6-4 with purse earnings of $575,634.

On Friday, Ice Princess, owned by Flying P Stable, R.A. Hill Stable and Corms Racing Stable, breezed a bullet half-mile in 48.11 on the Belmont Park training track.

Bred in New York by Mina Equivest, the 3-year-old daughter of Palace Malice graduated on debut in September at Belmont ahead of finishing fourth in the Grade 1 Frizette in her lone career start against open company. Following an allowance score in January at the Big A, Ice Princess captured the Maddie May in February at Aqueduct.

Ice Princess is under consideration for the Grade 3, $400,000 Fantasy, a 1 1/16-miles test for sophomore fillies set for Friday, May 1 at Oaklawn Park.