Mind Control to make final career start in G1 Cigar Mile Handicap

Red Oak Stable and Madaket Stables’ dual Grade 1-winner Mind Control will attempt to go out on top when he takes on a field consisting of three other Grade 1 winners in Saturday’s Grade 1, $750,000 Cigar Mile Handicap for 3-year-olds and upward at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Mind Control, conditioned by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, has garnered seven graded stakes victories, reaching that pinnacle every year since 2018 while boasting a record of 28-11-3-6 and field best earnings of $1,773,334. Never out of the money in seven starts at the Big A, he captured the Jerome and Grade 3 Bay Shore in 2019 before conquering the Grade 3 Toboggan and Grade 3 Tom Fool Handicap the following year for trainer Gregg Sacco.

Mind Control is by 2012 Cigar Mile winner and Pletcher alumnus Stay Thirsty. A victory would make them the first father-son pair to capture the final Grade 1 on the NYRA circuit since inaugural 1988 winner Forty Niner produced 1996 winner Gold Fever.

“He’s been a great horse for us and accomplished a lot before he even came to us, but he’s been a real neat horse to be around,” said Pletcher, who seeks a record-extending sixth Cigar Mile victory. “He enjoys his job and has always liked Aqueduct. We were looking at possible options and thought coming into the Cigar Mile fresh was the right way to approach it. Physically, there are some similarities between him and his sire. They both ran well at two, three, four and in Mind Control’s case beyond that. He just keeps going.”

Rick Sacco, racing manager for Red Oak Stable, confirmed that the Cigar Mile will be Mind Control’s final career start before heading off to a stallion career.