Mind Your Biscuits Defends Crown In G1 Golden Shaheen

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – Owner/trainer Chad Summers’ Mind Your Biscuits dazzled the crowd with an electrifying stretch drive under a perfectly-timed ride to defend his crown in Saturday’s Group 1, $2,000,000 Dubai Golden Shaheen Sponsored by Gulf News at Meydan Racecourse.

Breaking well from the rail under Joel Rosario, last year’s champion made his usual move to drop off the pace early and away from the kickback, allowing _ to take initial command. X Y Jet made a move through the far turn to take the lead and looked like a winner as he hit the top of the stretch along the rail on a track that had been playing heavily to inside speed. While most eyes were on the leader, Mind Your Biscuits suddenly exploded down the middle of the track and began rapidly gaining ground from the rear. Though still well-back in sixth with a furlong remaining, he had improved to third within 3 lengths and still a 1/2-furlong to go. In his final four jumps, Biscuits caught, drew even with, and passed X Y Jet, finishing in a track-record time of 1:10.12 for the 6-furlong dirt event.

“He showed he was the best horse,” Rosario said. “I couldn’t be more proud of this horse. With the post position, I was thinking to myself, ‘I have to save a little ground on the turn.’ I did save a little bit, but it wasn’t that much. He just put in the run that he always has in the end. ”

The 1-2 favorite Roy H was always looming but never put serious pressure on X Y Jet and finished a length behind in third. Wild Dude was up late for fourth over Matera Sky, with Jordan Sport, Reynaldothewizard, and My Catch completing the order of finish. Shillong was a late scratch.

Mind Your Biscuits’ win was his first since taking the Grade 2 Belmont Sprint last July. The 5-year-old son of Posse improved his record to 21-7-8-3, while the $1.2 million winner’s share of the purse increased his career earnings to $3,719,286, making him the highest-earning New York-bred horse ever.

“(Winning it for the second year in a row) means everything,” said Summers, who co-owns with his father, his brother, J Stables, Michael Kisber, and Head of Plains Partners. “It’s everybody that doubted us, everybody that wrote us off, everyone that wanted to stay home in Florida. It’s a big deal to us to come here and have the people that believe in us and believe in the horse. He’s an unbelievable horse. ”

Biscuits’ 2017 triumph came after breaking from post 14, giving him wins from both ends of the starting gate spectrum.

“I know one thing: if we come back next year, we’re not going to worry about post,” Summers said.

Mind Your Biscuits returned $10 to win, $4.40 to place, and $2.80 to show. X Y Jet brought back $3.60 to place and $2.40 to show, while Roy H paid $2.10 to show.

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