John Velazquez | Horse Racing Free Tips

The Week in Review: 32 Years Ago, a Spark of Kismet at Saratoga

It was a relatively quiet Thursday last week when jockey John Velazquez registered his 1,000th victory at Saratoga, extending his record as the winningest jockey in Spa history.

Sifting through the archives to get a feel for what was going on in the sport when Johnny V. won his first career race at Saratoga back on Aug. 5, 1990, yields a heady mix of nostalgia tinged with kismet.

Although not considered a truly “historic” day of racing at the Spa, there are enough intriguing nuggets buried within the charts and news clippings from that day to earn it “historical footnote” status.

The date was a drizzly Sunday on the opening weekend of what would end up being the last four-week race meet at Saratoga. A throng of 51,769 would be announced as the second-largest crowd in Spa history, but that was just the turnstile count. You own a very rare collector's item if you still have the souvenir T-shirt from that afternoon's giveaway.

Velazquez, who had only started riding on the New York circuit earlier that year, was under the tutelage of Hall of Famer Angel Cordero, Jr., who is credited with first recognizing and then helping to develop the talent of the then-18-year-old.

But as fate would have it, Velazquez's first win at Saratoga came in a race in which Cordero got slammed to the grass course back-first when his mount veered in toward the hedge at the three-eighths pole in a turf route.

Velazquez, who was pressing the pace when the spill happened well behind him, ended up winning by a neck at 5-1 odds aboard a filly named Color Blue. The young apprentice's post-race celebration must have been muted, with his 48-year-old mentor prone on the course and being attended to by the ambulance crew.

Cordero ended up walking away from the scary-looking accident even though he was down for a good 12 minutes. Published accounts stated that he flashed the “OK” sign to onlookers, and was seen peering at a program while being assessed for injuries. Perhaps liking the mounts he saw later in the day, the wily veteran missed only the next race on the card before returning to action.

Another item that stands out from that first Spa score for Velazquez is that the race featured no fewer than seven (out of a field of 10) eventual Hall-of-Fame jockeys.

Beyond Velazquez and Cordero, the others in the second race on Aug. 5, 1990, were Craig Perret, Eddie Maple, Chris Antley, Jerry Bailey and Mike Smith.

That's quite a collection of race-riding royalty–all at varying rising and falling points on their career arcs–competing in a $25,000 claimer.

Bug-boy Velazquez, the youngest of that bunch, roared right back in Race 6, pouncing from off the pace to steal a maiden turf route by a nose with Busy as a Bee, igniting the tote board with a $127.60 winner.

Despite a two-win afternoon and the massive mutuel, the rookie rider's first trips to the Saratoga winner's circle (then still a ring of chalk drawn on the main track near the finish) didn't merit a mention in the press.

The racing coverage that day was devoted to the featured GII Jim Dandy S. (in which Johnny V. didn't have a mount), plus sidebars about Cordero's spill.

For anyone believing today that four-horse fields in Saratoga graded stakes are an entirely modern phenomenon, or that slow-paced tactics are frustratingly novel to 21st Century race-riding, we have Steve Crist's New York Times description of a “bizarrely weak” renewal of the Dandy to set us straight:

“Only four starters turned up, and their riders were apparently so worried about their mounts' being able to go the distance–a mile and an eighth–that they virtually walked most of the way,” Crist wrote. “The slow early fractions [:26.22 and :51.73] reduced the race to a three-furlong sprint to the wire.”

Chief Honcho (Smith aboard) was the winner of that dawdling Dandy in a final time 1:51.74.

Jennie Rees of the Louisville Courier-Journal seemed to be the only turf writer who noticed that “the victory was the first in a Saratoga stakesa” for Chief Honcho's trainer, a 37-year-old up-and-comer from the Midwest named Bill Mott.

It's doubtful that anyone in 1990 recognized those same-day accomplishments for Velazquez and Mott as the launch-pad milestones they would prove to be.

Over the next three decades, both jockey and trainer would become well-respected synonyms of Saratoga success, both on and off the track.

So it was fitting that when Velazquez rode Precursory (Kantharos) to victory for his 1,000th Spa win on Aug. 25, 2022, Mott was the trainer.

Travers Takeaways…

The ceremonial maroon and white paint wasn't yet dry on the GI Runhappy Travers S. canoe Saturday when speculation about the next start for Winchell Thoroughbreds colorbearer Epicenter (Not This Time) began to swirl.

With little doubt that the GI Breeders' Cup Classic is the ultimate season-ending goal, the main post-Travers question was whether or not Epicenter (112 Beyer Speed Figure) would have another race in the 10-week interim until the Classic. Trainer Steve Asmussen didn't commit either way in the immediate aftermath of the win, but he did indicate such a layoff wouldn't be considered problematic.

The marquee for the Classic is already being prepared as a highly anticipated Epicenter-vs.-Flightline (Tapit) showdown, but the undefeated 4-year-old 'TDN Rising Star' must first sail through Saturday's GI Pacific Classic at Del Mar before his Breeders' Cup status is confirmed.

Now that Saratoga's so-called Midsummer Derby is in the books, there's not much debate over Epicenter being at the top of the totem pole among sophomores aiming for two-turn glory. He manhandled the GI Kentucky Derby, GI Preakness S., and GI Haskell S. winners in the Travers, meaning the best chances for a late-summer bloom within the 3-year-old division now rest with 'TDN Rising Stars' Charge It (Tapit) and Taiba (Gun Runner).

Charge It ran second in the GI Florida Derby, then was a no-impact 17th when wide in the Kentucky Derby. But the Todd Pletcher trainee rebounded with a gaudy 23-length win in the GIII Dwyer S., and was aiming for the Travers before a foot abscess derailed his training last week. The GI Pennsylvania Derby Sept. 24 could end up being his next start.

Taiba was a surprise nomination for the Pacific Classic, but trainer Bob Baffert said Saturday that the GI Santa Anita Derby winner will probably not go in the race. After eating a ton of dirt and running into a wall of horseflesh on the far turn of the Kentucky Derby, Taiba rallied with interest in the Haskell, coming up just a head short for the win.

“I nominated him just in case,” Baffert said. “Things happen and you never say never, but the complexion of the race would have to change.” (Read: Flightline would have to go missing in action prior to the draw on Tuesday.)

Taiba is also nominated for the ungraded Shared Belief S. on the Pacific Classic undercard.

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Life Is Good Headlines Star-Studded Saturday of Racing

Holiday weekends are often synonymous with exciting race cards and this Fourth of July weekend is no exception with a dozen graded events on tap Saturday that include some of racing's best. The highlight of the day's action is the return of 'TDN Rising Star' Life Is Good (Into Mischief), who is making his first start back since finishing fourth in the G1 Dubai World Cup Mar. 26 in Belmont's GII John A. Nerud S.

A dominant winner of last year's GII Kelso H. and GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile and this term's GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational S., Life Is Good spent some time at WinStar after his return from Dubai and has been breezing steadily at Belmont for Pletcher since Memorial Day weekend. Flavien Prat climbs aboard the fleet-footed bay for the first time Saturday.

“Flavien has proven he rides really well in any occasion,” said Pletcher, who indicated this race is a prep for the GI Whitney S. “There might be some similarities to Flightline (Tapit) and Life Is Good, but we'll have a talk about the horse a little bit. He's got kind of a quiet touch, so that should suit him well.”

While Life Is Good will certainly be the heavy favorite, there is one member of this five-horse field who could give him a run for his money. Godolphin homebred Speaker's Corner (Street Sense) kicked off 2022 with a trio of seemingly effortless victories in the GIII Fred Hooper S., GII Gulfstream Park Mile and GI Carter H. He received a 114 Beyer Speed Figure for that win, which trumps Life Is Good's best figure of 110 in the Pegasus. The bay enters this off a third-place finish behind unbeaten sensation Flightline in the GI Hill 'n' Dale Met Mile June 11 and Jose Ortiz takes over the controls from Junior Alvarado, who will be riding for trainer Bill Mott in Kentucky.

The Nerud certainly looks like a match race between these two formidable foes as Repo Rocks (Tapiture), Harvard (Pioneerof the Nile) and War Tocsin (Violence) are overmatched to say the least.

Also on tap at Belmont Saturday is the GIII Dwyer S. for sophomore colts. The regally bred Charge It (Tapit) looks to rebound in this cutback in trip after a poor effort in the GI Kentucky Derby, where he finished 17th. The 'TDN Rising Star' was a green, but good second in the GI Curlin Florida Derby in April and the Run for the Roses may have just been too much too soon. You can count on Pletcher to have the colt ready to roll in this softer spot and his back-to-back bullets on the local training track affirm that. With the colt's regular rider Luis Saez at Churchill Downs for Americanrevolution (Constitution), the Hall of Famer calls on his right-hand man John Velazquez to take over the reins.

Chad Brown has an intriguing runner in the Dwyer in Peter Brant's Nabokov (Uncle Mo). The $775,000 KEESEP buy earned his diploma at this oval when extended to two turns last time in his second start May 15.

Cox Holds Strong Hand at Churchill

Churchill Downs also offers a pair of intriguing graded events and Brad Cox has a strong chance to take both. He sends out Juddmonte homebred Mandaloun (Into Mischief)–who is making his first start since a well-beaten ninth in the G1 Saudi Cup–in the GII Stephen Foster H., a Breeders' Cup 'Win and You're In' event. The colt was promoted to first via DQ in both the GI Kentucky Derby and GI Haskell Invitational S. last year and crossed the line first in the GIII Louisiana S. in January. Cox also saddles Caddo River (Hard Spun) off a trio of optional claimer scores.

Olympiad | Coady

That pair face some stiff competition from New York in Olympiad (Speightstown) and Americanrevolution (Constitution). The Bill Mott-trained Olympiad is a perfect four-for-four this season, topped by wins in the GIII Mineshaft S., GII New Orleans Classic and GII Alysheba S. Meanwhile, Americanrevolution, who shares the same connections as Life is Good, looks to return to winning ways. Capturing the GI Cigar Mile Dec. 4, the chestnut spent six months on the shelf and was a disappointing fourth in his return in the track-and-trip Blame S. June 4.

The GII Fleur de Lis S. attracted just five distaffers, but two of them are Grade I winners. Cox sends out Shedaresthedevil (Daredevil), whose trio of Grade I wins includes the 2020 GI Kentucky Oaks. The bay was run down last time by this field's other top-level scorer Pauline's Pearl (Tapit) in this venue's GI La Troienne S. May 6. That Stonestreet homebred ran back in the local Shawnee S. June 4, finishing fourth as the heavy favorite behind She's All Wolfe (Magna Graduate).

Sprinters Star at Gulfstream

Female sprinters get a chance to secure a spot in the Breeders' Cup Saturday at Gulfstream in the GII Princess Rooney S., a 'Win and You're In.' Champion Ce Ce (Elusive Quality) won this event last term en route to a victory in the GI Breeders' Cup F/M Sprint and she will be heavily favored to defend her title. Winner of the GII Azeri S. earlier this year, the chestnut was third behind champion Letruska (Super Saver) and last-out GI Ogden Phipps S. winner Clairiere (Curlin) in the GI Apple Blossom H. Apr. 23.

Her biggest competition will come from claim-to-fame Glass Ceiling (Constitution), winner of the GIII Barbare Fritchie S. and GIII Distaff H. The bay enters off a third to Bella Sofia (Awesome Patriot) in the GII Bed O'Roses S. June 10.

Male sprinters get a chance at graded glory in Hallandale too in the GIII Smile Sprint S. The race will go through GI Woody Stephens S. winner Drain the Clock (Maclean's Music), who makes his first start since finishing seventh in the G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen S. Mar. 26.

Delaware & Canada Also Offer Graded Action

Sophomores will be in the spotlight at Delaware Park Saturday with the GIII Delaware Oaks and GIII Kent S. Ruthless S. winner Shotgun Hottie (Gun Runner) looks like the one to beat. The bay receives Lasix for the first time off a third-place finish in Aqueduct's GIII Gazelle S. Apr. 9.

The GIII Kent S. features 3-year-old colts on the grass and the likely favorite is Harrell Ventures' Main Event (Bernardini), winner of the Cutler Bay S. He was last seen finishing ninth in the GII American Turf S. at Churchill May 7. He faces Brad Cox runner Tommy Bee (Medaglia d'Oro), who was second in a trio of listed stakes.

Woodbine hosts four graded events Saturday: the GIII Selene S. for 3-year-old fillies, the GIII Marine S. for sophomore colts, the GII Nassau S. for older fillies and mares, and the GII Highlander S. for older male turf sprinters. Jonathan Thomas could win both the sophomore events with Catiche (Arrogate) in the Selene and Fuerteventura (Summer Front) in the Marine.

Lady Speightspeare (Speightstown), winner of this venue's GII Bessarabian S., faces SW & MGSP Crystal Cliffs (Fr) (Canford Cliffs {Ire}) and GSW Plum Ali (First Samurai) in the Nassau. The Highlander is topped by the Wesley Ward-trained Bound for Nowhere (The Factor), a two-time winner of the GII Shakertown S. at Keeneland.

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The Week in Review: Mind Control Learning Two-Turn Tricks at Age Six

When the late John Brunetti Sr., the colorful and sometimes controversial owner of Hialeah Park and the Red Oak Stable breeding and racing operation, died at 87 in 2018, his racing manager, Rick Sacco, told TDN, “He's been active right up until the very end [and] this is probably Mr. Brunetti's best crop of homebred 2-year-olds that we've ever had.”

The standout from that Red Oak foaling class of '16 ended up being GISW Mind Control (Stay Thirsty), who at age six edged up over the $1.5 million earnings mark Saturday.

Brunetti never got to see Mind Control's debut or his evolution into a no-quit, middle-distance grinder, most recently evidenced by his refuse-to-lose smackdown of 3-10 favorite Hot Rod Charlie in the GIII Salvator Mile S. at Monmouth Park.

But a third generation of Brunettis, led by sons Steven and John Jr., are charting a path with Mind Control that could carry the Red Oak silks (in partnership with Madaket Stables) to the winner's circle in the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile.

Mind Control broke his maiden at Monmouth in his second try on Aug. 12, 2018, then wired the GI Hopeful S. at Saratoga at 10-1 odds in start number three.

A trip-troubled seventh in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile going 1 1/16 miles seemed to stamp him as a one-turn type, and he picked off some lower-level stakes at a mile or under in New York before springing another 10-1 upset going seven furlongs at the Spa, this time in the 2019 edition of the GI H. Allen Jerkins S.

After starting 2020 with a pair of Grade III sprint victories, Mind Control went 0-for-8 over the next 12 months before Red Oak executed a trainer change, from Rick Sacco's brother, Greg Sacco, to Todd Pletcher. The move was not without some family friction for the Saccos, according to published reports at the time.

Reunited with John Velazquez, who had piloted Mind Control to his pair of Grade I wins, the 5-year-old scored at first placement for Pletcher in the GII John Nerud S. at Belmont Park July 4, 2021, then ran a credible fourth in the GI Forego S. at Saratoga.

By that point late last summer, there were enough known qualities about Mind Control to establish that he belonged in the upper tier of middle-distance horses in America. Adjectives like sound, smart, tenacious, determined, professional, hard-working, and unafraid to fight aptly described him.

But Mind Control was often perceived as if he still had something left to prove. Bettors rarely fancied him. Even now, with 26 starts under his belt, he's only gone off favored five times in his career, and not once has he been the chalk in his last 14 starts, extending back more than two years.

A sizable stumbling block last summer was that Mind Control was essentially caught between distances when it came to a Breeders' Cup try. Six furlongs in the GI Sprint seemed too short (despite a 2-for-4 career record), and stretching beyond his sweet spot of seven furlongs (5-for-15) in the Dirt Mile meant going around two turns for just the second time in his life.

Yet because Mind Control had won and finished second in his only two one-turn-mile attempts at Aqueduct back in 2019, the distance itself didn't seem to be out of his grasp.

To gauge his affinity for two turns, Red Oak and Pletcher tried Mind Control in the Sept. 25, 2021, Parx Dirt Mile. That experiment appeared over soon after the break. Mind Control had a stutter-step start, got caught wide around both bends, and shortly after he made a far-turn, last-gasp move that reeled in the two leaders, he was immediately pounced upon by 4-5 fave Silver State (Hard Spun).

Under a full head of steam, Silver State extended his lead to nearly a full length inside the sixteenth pole and appeared home free. But Mind Control, pinned down inside, re-rallied and clawed his way back to win by a furious head bob over the final 50 yards. The result was a 104 Beyer Speed Figure–his first foray into triple digits after thrice peaking at 99.

A fever knocked Mind Control out of last year's Dirt Mile at Del Mar, and he spent the winter recuperating at Red Oak's farm in Ocala, where he annually enjoys his own paddock.

Starting fresh in '22, Mind Control had the misfortune of hooking two razor-sharp winners in a pair of seven-furlong races, both of whom were building three-race winning streaks in stakes.

On Apr. 9, he was third behind the odds-on Speaker's Corner in the GI Carter H. at Aqueduct. Then on the GI Kentucky Derby undercard, Mind Control was a no-match fifth for the '21 sprint champ Jackie's Warrior (Maclean's Music) in the GI Churchill Downs S.

A confidence-builder was in order, and the Salvator Mile at the Jersey shore figured to offer a touch of class relief.

But Mind Control's day at the beach got party-crashed at entry time by Hot Rod Charlie, whose connections had also sized up the Salvator Mile as a potentially cushy spot coming off his runner-up try in the G1 Dubai World Cup three months ago.

Third in last year's Derby and second in the GI Belmont S., Hot Rod Charlie would also be returning to the scene of his controversial GI Haskell S. disqualification from last summer, thickening the plot.

Mind Control broke sharply from the rail under Johnny V. and was immediately accosted by a keen Hot Rod Charlie. But after establishing early positioning near the head of affairs, Mike Smith opted to back off with his heavy favorite, sitting second while keeping Mind Control well within striking sight, maintaining a cushion of about 1 3/4 lengths down the back straight behind measured splits of :23.60 and :23.06 for the first two opening quarters.

At the midpoint of the race, Smith attempted to reengage with Hot Rod Charlie, but Mind Control didn't need much more that a subtle flick of the wrists from Velazquez to open back up, this time by three-quarters of a length.

But by the far turn Velazquez was hand-riding with a bit more urgency while Smith had yet to even think about unleashing Hot Rod Charlie, and the favorite clearly had better momentum as the dueling duo crested the quarter pole.

Moving on the outside, Hot Rod Charlie asserted himself at the eighth pole, finally wresting away the lead.

Then the scene shifted.

Reminiscent of his Lazarus-like clawback when in tight at the rail in deep stretch in the Parx Mile, Mind Control responded to Johnny V.'s unpanicked urging, incrementally edging back on even terms even while Hot Rod Charlie continued to roll homeward without any quit on his account.

They head-bobbed together while hurtling home in lockstep through the final sixteenth, with Mind Control prevailing in 1:35.79.

Just like in the Parx Mile, Mind Control's winning margin was a head. By the numbers, the result was the same too–another 104 Beyer.

Not a bad effort for a horse allegedly out of his element around two turns.

Maybe it was the public that was in need of the confidence booster, not Mind Control.

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Franco, Velazquez Fined for Misjudging Oaklawn Finish

The riders of both the winner and the fourth-place horse in a $108,0000 allowance race on last Saturday's GI Arkansas Derby undercard both were fined for apparently forgetting that mile races at Oaklawn Park end at the sixteenth pole and not the traditional finish wire.

Geovanni Franco and John Velazquez each were assessed $200 fines from the Oaklawn stewards on Thursday for “misjudging the wire and striking his horse after the finish of the fourth race at Oaklawn Park on April 2, 2022.”

Franco was on the lead for most of the race aboard Background (Khozan) while Velazquez rallied from the back aboard Title Ready (More Than Ready). Background opened up late under urging to win by 1 1/4 lengths, while Title Ready was involved in a blanket finish whose 2-3-4 horses were separated by margins of a nose and two necks.

Although Oaklawn's pan shot of the replay doesn't show the immediate aftermath of the finish, the head-on shot reveals Franco whipping right-handed several times and riding hard almost to the traditional finish line while Velazquez delivers a single right-handed crack while also hustling his mount. Other riders shown in the frame are already easing up their horses.

Franco has ridden regularly at Oaklawn this meet while Velazquez has shipped in for stakes engagements. It was not immediately clear if either rider would be appealing.

Although this sort of misjudgment penalty has sporadically been imposed at Oaklawn over the years, it's always a bit more noticeable when it occurs on a big race day with a leading national jockey involved.

On the undercard of the 2021 Arkansas Derby, jockey Joel Rosario was fined $200 for misjudging the short-stretch finish aboard the 9-5 favorite Rushie (Liam's Map), who lost the $400,000 Oaklawn Mile S. by a nose.

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