Summers ready to ‘move forward’ with Mind Your Biscuits

Mind Your Biscuits had never raced beyond a mile in his 22 starts prior to Saturday’s Grade 1 Whitney Stakes. The multiple Grade/Group 1 winner was a proven sprinter, but the Whitney’s 1 1/8 miles made for a big question mark. To add more drama to the Saratoga highlight, the race was delayed due to heavy rainfall, which the horses had to wait out in the paddock.

The 5-year-old New York-bred sat in fifth in a field of nine, with favored Diversify, also a New York-bred, having his way on the lead over a sloppy track. Although Diversify was able to come away with a 3 1/2-length win, Mind Your Biscuits ran on for second.

With the Whitney being a “Win and You’re In” event, Diversify also earned an automatic berth into the Breeders’ Cup Classic, an invitation he passed up last year after winning the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup. Diversify would be making his first Breeders’ Cup appearance, while Mind Your Biscuits has competed twice in the championships.

“The one thing in the back of your mind is that Diversify runs best when he's loose on the lead,” said Chad Summers, who conditions Mind Your Biscuits. “All the credit to him, but once again, catch the race with the lone speed, and just a little too much to make up. I was hoping the seven pounds would make the difference but Diversify worked great last Sunday, and that was the difference here. [He] came out of the Suburban with a good effort, and (we've) got three months to make up three lengths."

Mind Your Biscuits finished second and third in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Sprint in 2016 and 2017, respectively. Summers is looking to make a return to the Nov. 2-3 Breeders’ Cup with his stable star this year at Churchill Downs, but this time the Sprint isn’t the definite target.

“At this point we'll see how he comes out of it,” Summers said. “I thought he galloped out of it really good. We'll talk to [jockey] Joel [Rosario] and the connections, but I see no reason not to go on, to kind of move on. Obviously, you have to get one more win and you're in, to qualify and get in, but I think he showed up with another big effort here today, so I see no reason not to move forward.”

Summers also sees an advantage with the Breeders’ Cup being hosted at Churchill Downs. Although Mind Your Biscuits has not raced under the twin spires, Diversify ran a disappointing race there in November. The Whitney victor was coming off his Jockey Club Gold Cup win and went off as the favorite in the Grade 1 Clark Handicap. He took up his typical position on the front, but faded to fourth.

“…Diversify has good cruising speed, and once he goes that 46 and change, and he's in front by three or four he's a tough horse to run down,” Summers said. “He's a good New York-bred, but we look forward to seeing him down the road. He struggled at Churchill. We think we're going to love Churchill.”