2020 Tom Fool Handicap Preview, Entries & Odds

Mind Control (Red Oak Stable and Madaket Stables), a dual Grade 1-winner on the New York Racing Association circuit, leads a salty field of eight in the Grade 3, $200,000 Tom Fool Handicap at Aqueduct Racetrack on Saturday, March 7.

Saturday's four-stakes card at the Big A will be anchored by the Grade 3, $300,000 Gotham Stakes, a Kentucky Derby prep race offering 50-20-10-5 qualifying points to the top-four finishers, and is bolstered by the $250,000 Busher for sophomore fillies offering the same qualifying point structure towards the Kentucky Oaks, and the $125,000 Stymie for 4-year-olds and up.

Trained by Gregg Sacco, the 4-year-old Stay Thirsty colt, bred in Kentucky by Red Oak Stable, has captured a pair of Grade 1 races at Saratoga Race Course, beginning with the Grade 1 Hopeful as a juvenile and the Grade 1 H. Allen Jerkens last year.

Sacco said the versatile Mind Control, who boasts wins from six furlongs up to one mile, will look to continue his Big Apple success with a campaign that includes Grade 1 stops at the six-furlong Carter on April 4 at the Big A and the one-mile Runhappy Metropolitan Handicap on June 6 as part of eight Grade 1s slated for Belmont Stakes Day at Belmont Park.

"He loves New York," said Sacco. "He's like New York's adopted son and he does his best racing here. He's really thrived here in his training and he has an affinity for Aqueduct. He really runs well over that track. He trains super at Belmont, and we wanted to keep him close to home. The New York races are rich and deep in tradition, so we'll take it one race at a time starting with the Tom Fool on Saturday, with an eye on the Carter and the Met Mile after that if all continues to go well."

Mind Control has won three of four starts at Aqueduct, including scores in the Jerome and Grade 3 Bay Shore during a productive sophomore campaign, and a last-out nose win in the Grade 3 Toboggan in his seasonal debut on January 18.

Sacco said he initially planned to train Mind Control up to the Carter, but the talented bay proved too sharp to keep in the barn.

"He's been bouncing over the track so well and jumping out of his skin," said Sacco. "After discussing with my brother [racing manager Rick Sacco] and the team, we thought the timing would be right a month out of the Carter. It just made sense to run in the Tom Fool."

Mind Control has made his last five starts at seven furlongs and hasn't sprinted three-quarters of a mile since his maiden win at second asking on August 12, 2018 at Monmouth Park. That effort followed a narrow defeat to eventual multiple graded-stakes winner Call Paul when sprinting 5 ½-furlongs in his career debut in July 2018 at Delaware Park.

Sacco said he his confident in Mind Control's ability to cut back in distance on Saturday in the six-furlong sprint for 4-year-olds and upward.

"The couple times he sprinted, he's sprinted with success. I don't think the cut back will be a problem for him going three-quarters," said Sacco. "He's really coming into the race super and we're expecting a good race out of him on Saturday."

Junior Alvarado, currently fifth in the Big A winter meet standings with 35 wins, will pick up the mount from Hall of Famer John Velazquez, who is committed to riding at Tampa Bay Downs on Saturday.

"Johnny fits him like a glove, but Junior is a very talented rider. He's not a hard horse to ride, but he's had a tendency to wait on horses in the past," said Sacco. "Junior has watched all of his races and is going to speak to Johnny. I hope they're a good match on Saturday."

Alvarado will guide Mind Control from post 4.

M and A Racing's Happy Farm, trained by Jason Servis, captured the Grade 3 Fall Highweight on December 8 at Aqueduct, but saw his four-race win streak come to an end last out when second, by a head, to stablemate Firenze Fire.

The 6-year-old Ghostzapper gelding was claimed for $30,000 last March at the Big A and has compiled a record of four wins and two seconds for new connections in sprint events at Belmont and Aqueduct.

Jose Lezcano, whose 54 wins see him tied with Eric Cancel to top the winter meet table, has the call from post 5.

Trainer Michelle Nevin will saddle a pair of top contenders in SJB Stable and Marcello Micozzi's Skyler's Scramjet and Jay Em Ess Stable's Wonderful Light.

Skyler's Scramjet, a 6-year-old son of Creative Cause, will look for his first win since capturing the 2018 Tom Fool. The talented grey, who boasts a record of five wins and four seconds from 19 starts, hasn't raced since an off-the-board effort in the Tale of the Cat in August at Saratoga.

Out of the stakes-winning mare Abundantly Blessed, Skyler's Scramjet has posted a steady string of works on the Belmont Park training track dating back to January 8, including a February 29 breeze in 1:01.80.

"We're happy to have him back. He's been doing everything like clockwork and hasn't missed a beat, so we're excited to see him out there," said Nevin.

Wonderful Light, a 6-year-old son of Tiz Wonderful, was a rallying second to Happy Farm in the Fall Highweight but failed to fire his best shot last out when fourth in the Gravesend.

Out of the multiple stakes winner By the Light, Wonderful Light is a half-brother to the multiple Grade 1-winning mare By the Moon. With a record of 14-5-4-3 and purse earnings of $303,955, the Kentucky homebred is in search of his first stakes win.

"He's doing good and came out of his last race good, so it's all-systems-go," said Nevin. "He's been doing really well. Hopefully, he gets back on form."

Manny Franco will guide Skyler's Scramjet from post 8, while Wonderful Light will leave from post 3 under Luis Saez.

Main Line Racing Stable's Wentz, a lightly-raced 5-year-old chestnut, finished fourth last out in the Grade 3 Maryland Sprint on May 18 at Pimlico. That effort came on the heels of a career-best 99 Beyer Speed Figure earned in an optional-claiming sprint score at Keeneland for trainer Tyler Servis.

The Super Saver horse has trained forwardly at Palm Meadows in preparation for his return and will exit post 7 under Kendrick Carmouche.

Bon Raison was claimed for $80,000 by Flying P Stable last out and will make his first start for conditioner Michael Tannuzzo in the Tom Fool. The hard-knocking son of Raison d'Etat won six of 21 starts in 2019, including stakes scores in the Peeping Tom at the Big A and the Tale of the Cat at the Spa.

Co-meet leading rider Eric Cancel has the call from post 6.

Yellow Moon Stable, John G. Novello and Richard Kwiecinski's Sicilia Mike, bred in New York by Linda Rice and Antonio Miuccio, brings a two-race win streak into his graded-stakes debut.

Trained by Gary Sciacca, the 6-year-old Girolamo gelding will be piloted by Jorge Vargas, Jr. from post 2.

Lawrence Roman's Mr. Dougie Fresh, fresh off a claim for $62,500 from a last-out third to Stymie contender Joevia in a January 17 optional-claiming sprint at Aqueduct, will make his first start for trainer Rob Atras. The 6-year-old Ghostzapper colt sports a solid record at the Big A of 2-5-2 from 10 starts. He will emerge from the inside post under Dylan Davis.

The Tom Fool is slated as Race 8 with an approximate post time of 4:46 p.m. Eastern on Saturday's 10-race card. First post is 1:30 p.m. Eastern.