Summers goes for the money with Mind Your Biscuits

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – It is his immense respect for the horses in the sprint division as much as a desire to try his horse around two turns that has trainer Chad Summers excited to run Mind Your Biscuits in Saturday’s Grade 1, $1.2 million Whitney Stakes at Saratoga.

“I feel like the older [route] division is a softer division right now,” Summers said Monday. “Do you want to run against Imperial Hint for $350,000 or run against these horses for $1.2 million? I want to take a shot at $1.2 million against these horses.”

Summers pointed to the results of last weekend’s Grade 1 sprints around the country as further evidence that he is comfortable with his decision to try the Whitney, which will be Mind Your Biscuits’s first try around two turns and 1 1/8 miles.

Mind Your Biscuits is a multiple graded stakes-winning sprinter.

Imperial Hint, who finished two lengths in front of Mind Your Biscuits in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Sprint, rolled to a 3 3/4-length victory in Saturday’s Grade 1, $350,000 Alfred G. Vanderbilt at Saratoga, earning a 108 Beyer Speed Figure.

Ransom the Moon, who finished fifth in the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap – a race in which Mind Your Biscuits finished second – won the Grade 1 Bing Crosby on Saturday at Del Mar. Warrior’s Club, ninth in the Met Mile, ran second in the Vanderbilt.

“I think the horses we’ve run against flatter our form,” Summers said.

In the Whitney, Mind Your Biscuits will be facing older males who are trying to find their way in the division. Backyard Heaven, an impressive winner of the Alysheba, wilted in the heat at Churchill in the Grade 1 Stephen Foster. Tapwrit has not won since he took the 2017 Belmont Stakes. Good Samaritan has just one victory since he won last year’s Grade 2 Jim Dandy. McCraken, Dalmore, and Discreet Lover are also pointing to the Whitney.

Diversify, the Suburban winner, was under consideration as of Monday following a strong workout Sunday at Saratoga. Trainer Rick Violette had to make a decision by Tuesday, when entries were due. A post position draw ceremony was to be held Tuesday night at Sperry’s, a downtown Saratoga Springs restaurant.

“If Diversify is not in the race we might be the morning-line favorite,” Summers said. “And it opens up the doors for the Breeders’ Cup, where you have three options.”

Summers already has the Sprint and the Dirt Mile as Breeders’ Cup options. A good performance in the Whitney could make the Classic an option as well.

“I know people think I’m crazy, but I think he’s going to be better going two turns than one,” Summers said.