Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Grade 1 winner Mind Control eyeing Springboard Mile start
Mind Control, the Grade 1 Hopeful winner who finished seventh in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Churchill Downs, could make his next start in the $400,000 Springboard Mile at Remington Park, said Rick Sacco, racing manager for the colt’s owner, the Brunetti family’s Red Oak Stable.
Mind Control appeared to come out of the Juvenile in good order and was shipped back to Monmouth Park on Sunday, where he will remain for at least a week. Trainer Gregg Sacco is deciding whether to move the horse to Parx Racing or New York after Monmouth’s stable area closes down.
As for the Juvenile, Gregg Sacco said Mind Control got bumped and was in tight at the break, losing all position under Irad Ortiz Jr.
“Irad said he didn’t really grab the track, but then the last quarter-mile he passed half the field,” Sacco said.
Rick Sacco said the Springboard Mile interests in him in part because of the success the stable had with Unbridled Mo, who won the Remington Park Oaks in 2016.
“We’ve had success at Remington – good track, good surface,” he said. “I think he’ll like that track.”
The Springboard Mile will anchor a card of six stakes Dec. 16 at Remington. The race carries eligibility points for the Kentucky Derby. – David Grening
Runaway Ghost back to work
Runaway Ghost, the Sunland Derby winner who was forced to miss the Kentucky Derby due to injury, is back on the work tab. Runaway Ghost has logged a pair of three-furlong works, his latest in 36.80 seconds on Saturday at Zia Park.
“He’s doing great,” trainer Todd Fincher. said
Runaway Ghost was diagnosed with a fracture in his right front cannon bone following an April 14 work for the Kentucky Derby. He underwent surgery, was rehabbed, and is now based at Zia.
“We gave him plenty of time and his shin is healed up,” Fincher said. “We put him in light training two months ago and just started breezing him very recently.”
Fincher said Runaway Ghost is on schedule to make his return to racing after the first of the year, during the upcoming meet at Sunland.
Sunland opens Dec. 28 and runs through May 5. The track’s stakes schedule includes a handicap series for older horses, led by the $150,000 Sunland Park Handicap on May 4. The first local prep is the $65,000 Winsham Lad on Jan. 13.
Runaway Ghost is a son of Ghostzapper who races for his breeder, Joe Peacock. He is out of the mare Rose’s Desert, a seven-time stakes winner who earned $626,035. Fincher trained Rose’s Desert for Peacock.
Runaway Ghost has won 4 of 7 starts and earned $563,510.
Myhotrodlincoln to Zia Juvenile
Myhotrodlincoln, who in May ran second by a head in the $100,000 Kentucky Juvenile at Churchill Downs, is targeting the $50,000 Zia Park Juvenile next, Fincher said.
The Zia Park Juvenile is part of the Land of Enchantment card on Nov. 21.
Myhotrodlincoln exits a runner-up finish in an Oct. 2 maiden special weight at Zia. He was beaten a neck in the 5 1/2-furlong race, which went in 1:03.43.
“He caught a really fast horse,” Fincher said. “They hooked up and beat the rest of the field a dozen lengths. He just got beat. No excuses. It was a heck of a race.”
Myhotrodlincoln earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 74. He is a son of Verrazano and Mylittledeucecoupe, who is a half-sister to champion Stardom Bound.
Fincher said Roll on Matilda, who on Sunday won the $140,000 New Mexico Cup Lassie, will be considered for the $50,000 Zia Park Princess on Nov. 21.
“We’ll play it by ear,” he said. “She ran so hard. She set really fast fractions and ran away from them. She’s a really nice filly. It was pretty impressive to me.”
Roll on Matilda won the Lassie by 5 3/4 lengths and earned a Beyer of 75 for covering six furlongs in 1:09.38.
Zia official Matt Crawford moved both 2-year-old stakes to the Land of Enchantment card this meet. The program includes the $250,000 Zia Oaks and $250,000 Zia Derby.
◗ The Grade 3, $800,000 Sunland Derby is scheduled for March 24, according to a condition book posted on Sunland’s website. The 1 1/8-mile race will again anchor a card of seven stakes. The races include the $200,000 Sunland Park Oaks.
◗ Bryn’s Fancy Pants, who won her fifth stakes in the $140,000 New Mexico Cup Distaff Sprint on Sunday at Zia, is being pointed to the $85,000 New Mexico State Racing Commission Handicap on Dec. 29 at Sunland, Fincher said.
◗ Bionic Butterfly, a halfsister to multiple stakes winner Four Leaf Chief, goes in a conditioned allowance for Louisianabred fillies and mares Friday night at Delta Downs. Timothy Thornton has the mount in the 6 1/2-furlong race for trainer Steve Flint.
◗ Trainer D. Wayne Lukas said he plans to move his stable into Oaklawn the first week of December. Stall applications were to close Thursday.
– Mary Rampellini