March 29, 2024

Mind Control faces six in Jerome as New Year kicks off with Derby prep

Mind Control led all the way to win the Hopeful (G1) on closing day at Saratoga (Adam Coglianese Photography)

The New Year begins with a Kentucky Derby qualifier at Aqueduct, Tuesday’s $150,000 Jerome, and Hopeful (G1) winner Mind Control heads a six-horse field in the one-mile test. John Velazquez will be up on the Greg Sacco-trained colt.

A total of 17 points will be awarded to the top four finishers (10-4-2-1) in the Road to the Kentucky Derby series race.

Scratched from October’s Breeders’ Futurity (G1) at Keeneland, Mind Control broke poorly when returning from a two-month freshening in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) and wound up off the pace for the first time in his four-race career, passing tiring rivals in the stretch to be a non-threatening seventh.

An improved effort can be expected from the front-running son of Stay Thirsty. Mind Control broke his maiden the second time out at Monmouth Park and was overlooked at 10-1 recording a wire-to-wire victory in the seven-furlong Hopeful at Saratoga.

Direct Order will jump to stakes company for Jason Servis with a two-race win streak. A maiden scorer at Parx on October 15, the New Year’s Day colt rallied from just off to prevail as the odds-on favorite in an allowance/optional claimer at Aqueduct on November 29. Jose Lezcano takes over the mount.

John Servis will send out Gates of Dawn, who exits a sharp three-length triumph in a November 17 maiden tally at Parx. A $425,000 two-year-old in training purchase, the son of Arch was favored at 1-2 in his second start last time and Frankie Pennington will be in to ride the dark bay colt.

Souper Jackpot, a Churchill Downs maiden winner two back, can’t be dismissed from consideration after registering a field-best 102 BRIS Speed rating for a neck second in the December 8 Smooth Air at Gulfstream Park. Junior Alvarez picks up the assignment for Mark Casse.

Our Braintrust captured the Tremont at Belmont in early June and the Maryland-bred Freud colt returned from a six-month layoff with a runner-up effort last time, the restricted Maryland Juvenile Futurity at Laurel Park on December 8. Jose Vargas retains the mount for Cathal Lynch. Family Biz, a last-out maiden winner at Aqueduct, completes the field.