goddess of fire | Horse Racing Free Tips

Mind Control Confirmed For Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile

Red Oak Stable and Madaket Stable's multiple Grade 1 winner Mind Control, a determined winner (104 Beyer) of the $200,000 PARX Dirt Mile at Parx in Bensalem, Penn., on September 25, will make his next start in the $1,000,000 Grade 1 Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile on Saturday, Nov. 6 at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif.

Rick Sacco, Racing & Operations Manager for Red Oak Farm, made the announcement after the 5-year-old son of Stay Thirsty – Feel That Fire worked five furlongs on the training track at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher in 1:01.46 on Friday, October 15.

“Mind Control put in an excellent solo breeze and galloped out strongly,” noted Pletcher. “He finished out in 1:14.33, 1:27.09, and got the mile in 1:41.71. Mind Control will ship to California on October 31 to put in his final preparations for the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile.”

Sacco added that regular jockey and Hall of Fame inductee John Velazquez has been engaged to ride the Red Oak Stable homebred Mind Control in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile.

Velazquez was in the saddle for Mind Control's hard-fought PARX Dirt Mile victory over 2021 Grade 1 Met Mile winner Silver State.

Silver Slate collared Mind Control and briefly took the lead in the stretch, but Mind Control fought back on the inside to win by a head while covering the mile in 1:36.59.

“He didn't give up, I didn't give up! When I asked for more, he gave me more,” Velazquez said after winning the race.

Mind Control will enter the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile with a record of 9 wins from 23 lifetime starts and career earnings of $1,413,229. His two Grade 1 wins came at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., in the 2018 Hopeful and the 2019 H. Allen Jerkens, both run at seven furlongs.

Mind Control has made three starts at the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile distance, winning twice and finishing second once. The PARX Dirt Mile was around two turns as is the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile at Del Mar.

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Sacco informed that Mind Control's graded stakes-placed two-year-old half-sister Goddess Of Fire will make her third lifetime start in the $150,000 Tempted Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y., on Friday, November 5.

The Red Oak Stable (Stephen Brunetti) homebred by Mineshaft – Feel That Fire broke her maiden at first asking under John Velazquez in August at Saratoga. The bay filly followed up that winning effort with a third-place finish in the $300,000 Grade 3 Pocahontas at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., on September 18.'

Red Oak's mare Feel That Fire is currently in foal to Uncle Mo and has a Candy Ride yearling filly that is currently being broke at Red Oak Farm.

“Goddess Of Fire is an improving filly and she should handle the added-distance races down the road,” said Sacco. “If the filly runs well in the Tempted Stakes, we'll point her for the $250,000 Demoiselle Stakes (Grade 2) at Aqueduct on December 4.”

Goddess Of Fire breezed a half-mile on the Saratoga training track on Friday, October 15 in :49.08. “Todd has been pleased with the filly's progression and he's been given the green light to take his time and let her mature at her own pace,” added Sacco.

“These are exciting times for the Red Oak Farm team and we look forward to racing Goddess Of Fire in the Tempted at Aqueduct on November 5 and watching Mind Control on the racing industry's biggest stage in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile on November 6 at Del Mar,” Sacco concluded.

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Hidden Connection All Class In Pocahontas, Gets BC Juvenile Fillies Berth

Fresh off a win in her first career start, Hidden Connection had no trouble stretching out to 1 1/16 miles in the Grade 3 Pocahontas Stakes at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. As part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series, the 2-year-old daughter of Connect earns a guaranteed spot in the starting gate for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies.

The field of 10 broke cleanly, with Lemieux away fastest from the gate, taking a one-length lead. Hidden Connection stayed with her, Reylu Gutierrez putting his filly a half-length behind Lemieux.

Around the far turn, Hidden Connection drew even with Lemieux, passing her as they entered the stretch. From there, the filly ran away with the G3 Pocahontas, stretching her lead out to eight lengths as she crossed the wire. Mama Rina closed late to take second with Goddess of Fire and Code for Success rounding out the top four.

The final time for the 1 1/16 miles was 1:43.78. Find this race's chart here.

Hidden Connection paid $5.60, $4.00, and $3.20. Mama Rina paid $21.40 and $7.80. Goddess of Fire paid $4.20.

The G3 Pocahontas is a Win and You're In race for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. The winner earns a fees-paid, guaranteed spot in the starting gate for the corresponding race at the Breeders' Cup World Championships, scheduled for Nov. 5-6 at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif.

As a race on the path to the 2022 Kentucky Oaks, Hidden Connection's win in the Pocahontas earns her 10 points toward a spot in the starting gate for that classic.

Bred in Kentucky by St. Simon Place, Hidden Connection is out of the Awesome Again mare C J's Gal. Trained by Brett Calhoun, the 2-year-old filly is owned by Hidden Brook Farm and Black Type Thoroughbreds. She is 2 for 2 lifetime, with $207,525 in career earnings.

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Mineshaft Half to Mind Control Up in Time in Spa Opener

1st-Saratoga, $100,000, Msw, 8-22, 2yo, f, 6 1/2f, 1:18.65, ft, neck.
GODDESS OF FIRE (f, 2, Mineshaft–Feel That Fire {SW, $147,280}, by Lightnin N Thunder), who had worked in company with Saturday's impressive 'TDN Rising Star' My Prankester (Into Mischief), was given a 2-1 chance to keep trainer Todd Pletcher's good recent run with juvenile firsters going. The bay tracked out wide as second timer Everyoneloveslinda (Secret Circle) showed the way through splits of :22.17 and :46.07. The frontrunner seemed long gone entering the stretch, and Goddess of Fire was under a busy ride, but the latter found another gear in the final furlong to close a three or four-length gap and notch a narrow decision. The winner is half to her stablemate Mind Control (Stay Thirsty), MGISW, $1,259,229 and a yearling filly by Candy Ride (Arg). Feel That Fire was bred to Uncle Mo for 2022. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $55,000. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
O/ B-Red Oak Stable (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher.

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Sunday’s Insights: Fancy Fillies Kick off Festivities at Spa

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency

1st-SAR, $100K, Msw, 2yo, f, 6 1/2f, post time: 1:05 p.m. ET

A pair of half-sisters to Grade I winners line up for top trainers in the Sunday opener. Red Oak Stable homebred Goddess of Fire (Mineshaft) is out of speedy stakes winner Feel That Fire (Lightnin N Thunder), making her a half to Mind Control (Stay Thirsty), a debut winner at two who took the GI Hopeful S. in 2018 here, GI H. Allen Jerkens S. the following season and was last seen annexing the GII John A. Nerud S. at Belmont July 4 on the trainer change to Goddess of Fire's conditioner Todd Pletcher.

Chad Brown pupil Dover Dreams (Arrogate), out of a precocious mare herself, is half to Brown's 2015 GI Breeders' Cup F/M Sprint heroine Wavell Avenue (Harlington). The Jeff Drown colorbearer was a $460,000 KEESEP yearling, and will be joined in the gate by stablemate Saffron Moon (Malibu Moon), an $80,000 buy at the same auction and granddaughter of Grade I-winning grasser Vacare (Lear Fan).

J. Kirk and Judy Robison's Time for Cupid (Cupid) gets the nod on David Aragona's morning line at 2-1 having taken a Lone Star maiden special weight by daylight first out July 10, only to be demoted to second for interference. The $90,000 September purchase is trained by Steve Asmussen. TJCIS PPs

2nd-SAR, $100K, Msw, 2yo, f, 1 1/16mT, post time: 1:41 p.m.

Assuming this even stays on the grass, it appears likely to be an above-average heat. Rob Masiello and Steven Rocco's Diamond Hands (Frosted)–who scratched Wednesday due to a surface switch–was a $25,000 KEESEP yearling turned $425,000 OBS April pick-up off a smooth :10 1/5 breeze. The Christophe Clement trainee's dam Love Cove (Not For Love) was a MSW on the grass in New York-bred company.

West Point Thoroughbreds, et al's Fortineno (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) is a full to debut winner and 'TDN Rising Star' Rubilinda, who won turf stakes on the grass both sprinting and routing. Fortineno was purchased for $400,000 at Keeneland September.

Repole Stable's $330,000 September buy Five Prizes (Bernardini) is half to SW/MGSP Louder Than Bombs (Violence), and hails from the Robsham family of fellow Todd Pletcher pupil and Grade I-winning juvenile R Heat Lightning (Trippi). TJCIS PPs

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