Brown Gives Gerrymander A Break, Prepares Serve the King For Red Smith

Trainer Chad Brown said Klaravich Stables' Gerrymander, last-out winner of the Tempted, is getting a brief break and will be targeted toward a spring 2022 campaign.

The juvenile daughter of Into Mischief commanded the field through every point of call in the one-turn mile event, laying down easy fractions with Magic Circle tracking to her inside. When Magic Circle switched leads around the far turn and inched her way to even terms, Gerrymander shook off her foe and extended her advantage en route to a half-length victory.

“She's down at Payson Park getting a break right now,” Brown said. “She's been in training for quite a while since we broke her, so I'm going to give her a little break and point her toward a spring campaign.”

Gerrymander, a $375,000 purchase at the 2020 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, broke her maiden at second asking on August 29 at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., going six furlongs ahead of a distant second to likely Champion 2-Year-Old Filly Echo Zulu in the Grade 1 Frizette on October 3 at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

Peter Brant's Serve the King and Klaravich Stables' Value Engineering went five furlongs in company in 1:04.01 Sunday over the Belmont inner turf in preparation for the $200,000 Grade 2 Red Smith, an 11-furlong turf test for 3-year-olds and up on November 20.

“He's been doing well,” Brown said of Serve the King, a last out runner-up in the G1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic. “He had an easy breeze this morning and looks fine. The Red Smith is shaping up to be a solid race.”

Prior to his last effort, Serve the King, a lightly-raced 5-year-old son of Kingman, captured the restricted John's Call on August 25 at Saratoga following a troubled fourth in the Grade 1 United Nations on July 17 at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J.

Value Engineering, winner of a nine-furlong optional-claiming tilt last out on October 21 at Belmont, will make his stakes debut in the Red Smith. The son of Lemon Drop Kid has never finished out of the money in 11 lifetime starts, narrowly beaten by stakes winners Hard Love, Temple, and Say the Word at allowance level.

“He'll have to step up, but I thought his last effort was a breakthrough win so we're giving it a shot,” Brown said.

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Mind Control on Track for Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile

Red Oak Stable and Madaket Stable's multiple Grade I winner Mind Control (Stay Thirsty) has been confirmed on target for the Nov. 6 GI Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile following a five-furlong work in 1:01.55 (7/19) over the training track at Belmont Park Friday.

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

John Velazquez will have the mount in the Breeders' Cup, Red Oak Farm racing and operations manager Rick Sacco confirmed.

The day before his Breeders' Cup engagement, Mind Control's juvenile half-sister, Red Oak homebred Goddess of Fire (Mineshaft) will make her third lifetime start in the Tempted S. at Aqueduct.

“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 S., we'll point her for the $250,000 [GII] Demoiselle S. at Aqueduct Dec. 4.”

Goddess Of Fire, a debut winner at Saratoga in August and most recently third in the GIII Pocahontas S., breezed a half-mile on the Saratoga training track Friday in :49.08 (8/45).

“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.

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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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