Red Oak Stable and Madaket Stables' Mind Control (Stay Thirsty) caught the field in the GI Hopeful S. by surprise and parlayed an inside trip to an upset of the Saratoga meet's juvenile centerpiece. This time, the target is on his back, and his draw is much more daunting, as the homebred will have to overcome the 13-post in looking to make it back-to-back Grade I successes in Saturday's GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity at Keeneland, a Win and You're In qualifier for the GI Sentient Jet Breeders' Cup Juvenile.
Runner-up to returning GII Saratoga Special S. winner Call Paul (Friesan Fire) on debut July 5 at Delaware, Mind Control earned a trip to the Spa with a convincing maiden tally Aug. 12, and he showed gameness to turn back heavily-favored 'TDN Rising Star' Mucho (Blame) in the Hopeful. The Greg Sacco pupil came out of the win with a trio of sharp breezes at his Monmouth base, capped by a five-furlong spin in :59 4/5 (1/8) Sept. 29.
The fourth and fifth-place finishers from the Hopeful will re-oppose in Starlight Racing's Sombeyay (Into Mischief) and John C. Oxley's Dream Maker (Tapit), respectively. The latter should appreciate the experience and added distance-he showed greenness while trying to close into a slow pace at Saratoga and his second dam was Oxley's five-time Grade I-winning router Beautiful Pleasure (Maudlin).
One stall outside of Mind Control is Klaravich Stables' well-regarded Standard Deviation (Curlin). Backed down to 45 cents on the dollar in his off-the-turf unveiling Aug. 18 at Saratoga, the bay settled professionally and drew clear late to score as much the best.
The top Beyer figure in the field outside of Mind Control's 84 in the Hopeful belongs to Albaugh Family Stables' Mr. Ankeny (Into Mischief). A beaten short price in his first two tries, the $350,000 Keeneland September pickup ground out a neck victory Sept. 2 at Ellis while posting an 81 Beyer. The effort has since been validated, as the distant third and fourth-place runners have returned to win next out.
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