Old Carter Kentucky Derby 01 is a small batch of whiskey distilled in small batches. The founders of the brand have viticultural roots in Napa Valley and have relationships with distillers in Kentucky and Tennessee. The brand’s first batch was released in March 2018 and included only 1,269 bottles. The founders place great emphasis on quality and craftsmanship.
Old Carter Whiskey Co.
Mark and Sherri Carter’s passion for whiskey began with wine. They have nine perfect 100-point scores from wine critics with their Carter Cellars Cabernets. The couple’s passion for whiskey led them to resurrect a legendary bourbon brand. Their first batch of whiskey was released in March 2018 with a production of 1,269 bottles. The founders believe in crafting each batch with great care and attention to detail.
The distillery’s mission is to make small-batch whiskey with a distinctly American flavor. Old Carter Bourbon is a cask-strength whiskey made from a mixture of malted barley and rye. Each batch is carefully crafted and aged for six years to bring out its full flavor.
The distillery produces American Whiskey, Bourbons, and Straight Ryes. Old Carter has a showroom in Louisville and is based in Kentucky. The owners, Mark and Sherri, handle all aspects of the business. They hand-select single barrels and design and handwrite the labels for each bottling. This makes each bottle of Old Carter an artistry and labor of love.
Mark and Sherri Carter have combined their talents to create a masterpiece. They have won several 100-point wine and whiskey competitions in Napa Valley and have even revived the Kentucky Owl Brand that was discontinued during Prohibition. Since that time, they have cultivated a reputation for quality and flavor.
Grade 1 $300,000 Carter Handicap
The $300,000 Carter Handicap is a seven-furlong sprint race for older horses. The winner earns a trip to the Kentucky Derby. The race is also a point-scoring race. Runners who finish in the top four earn a trip to the Kentucky Derby.
One of the more talented horses in the field is Mind Control, a multiple Grade 1-winning sprinter. Last time out, Mind Control breezed six furlongs in one minute and thirteen seconds at the Palm Meadows Training Center in Florida. He is scheduled to run in the $300,000 Carter Handicap on April 3 at Aqueduct Racetrack. Earlier this year, Mind Control ran third in the Grade 3 Mr. Prospector, a seven-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds and older. The winner was Sleepy Eyes Todd.
The other likely winner is Mischevious Alex, a 4-year-old son of Into Mischief who won his three starts so far this year. Mischevious Alex is owned by Cash Is King Racing and is trained by Saffie Joseph, Jr. His sire, Silver State, will break from post three.
Reinvestment Risk
The Old Carter Kentucky Derby is a prestigious graded stakes race that features the best runners in the country. Reinvestment Risk is one such runner, as he rushed through the rail and took control of the lead down the backstretch. He will be looking for his first Grade 1 win since finishing sixth in last year’s Pennsylvania Derby (G1).
Reinvestment Risk is a four-year-old son of Upstart and Klaravich Stables’ color bearer. He has a chance of landing the Grade 1 Carter Handicap on April 9 at the Big A. The colt has a win over two rivals in his last two starts, and his winning effort in an allowance optional claimer in February earned him a Beyer speed figure of 103.
Green Light Go
Green Light Go broke his sesamoid bone in his right foreleg while working out at Belmont Park. He had won the GII Saratoga Special and finished runner up in the GI Champagne Stakes. Trainer Jimmy Jerkens said he seemed to enjoy the fast track.
He was bred by Adena Springs and has earned nearly half a million dollars. He won the Stymie Stakes (G2) at Aqueduct on Feb. 26. He was also second in the GIII Fall Highweight H. and has lifetime earnings of $545102.
Another Grade I contender is Speaker’s Corner. The three-year-old colt is out of the Australian-bred Command Chi. Her great-granddam, Giovana (NZ) (Blues Traveller Ire), is the dam of stakes winners Medici (Encosta De Lago) and First Captain (KY). Speaker’s Corner is unbeaten in three starts and is coming off two one-turn victories at Gulfstream Park.
Mind Control has never finished worse than second in six starts in the Big A. He’s won two of his three races at Saratoga, including the Grade 3 Bay Shore in April 2019 and the H. Allen Jerkens Memorial in May. He made his seasonal debut in the Carter last year and finished second. He then transferred to Todd Pletcher after a close seventh in the Churchill Downs Handicap. He went on to win the Grade 2 John A. Nerud at Belmont, and a stakes-placed Breeders’ Cup.
Mind Control
This year’s Old Carter Kentucky Derby may be the race of a lifetime for Mind Control. The three-year-old is a six-time winner, with two victories at Saratoga. He won the Grade 3 Bay Shore in April and the Grade 3 Tom Fool the following year. Last season, Mind Control made his seasonal debut in the Carter, finishing second. He was trained by Gregg Sacco, but transferred to Todd Pletcher after finishing sixth in the Churchill Downs Handicap. Mind Control’s next race was the Grade 2 John A. Nerud at Belmont, and he could have a nice season at the Kentucky Derby.
Mind Control won two of his three starts in 2019 and will look to improve on his second start in the Old Carter. In addition to winning the Woody Stephens, Mind Control won the Grade 2 John Nerud Stakes last year at Belmont Park. Mind Control made his first two starts in 2018 for trainer Greg Sacco, and won two of three races last year.
Prior to the Old Carter Kentucky Derby, Mind Control had a successful grade three race at Monmouth Park. On June 18, he fought off odds-on favorite Hot Rod Charlie down the Jersey shore stretch. Mind Control was a nose ahead in a photo finish.
While his record doesn’t look great on paper, Mind Control is a talented horse. He is a multiple-graded stakes winner who will have a hard time facing Mischievous Alex. He won the Parx Dirt Mile and the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile in September. Then he had a fever, and Pletcher scratched him.
