Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Forego clash of top sprinters
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The matchup in the sprint division between Mind Your Biscuits and Drefong that everyone has been waiting to see would likely not have happened until Breeders’ Cup Day had Drefong not taken a left turn and tossed jockey Mike Smith shortly after the start of the Grade 1 Bing Crosby four weeks ago at Del Mar.
As a result, the two division leaders will square off a lot sooner than originally planned when they take on eight others going seven furlongs Saturday at Saratoga in the $600,000 Forego.
Making his first start since winning the Breeders’ Cup Sprint nearly nine months earlier, Drefong ducked in sharply at the gap leaving the six-furlong chute shortly after the start of the Bing Crosby, losing Smith in the process. Drefong continued riderless to the wire, finishing about a length behind winner Ransom the Moon.
“If he didn’t make that left turn out there, he wouldn’t be here Saturday,” Baffert said. “A lot of the problem was that he broke really well, the outside horses were coming in, he got bumped by one of them, and swerved into the gap. They’ve extended the rail an extra 60 feet since that race.”
Drefong has had two works since the Bing Crosby, including a half-mile from the gate in 48.40 at Del Mar on Aug. 12.
“The starter wanted me to bring him back to the gate, and I wanted to do it just in case we drew the rail here,” Baffert said. “If you watch the Bing Crosby, he still tried to win. The little horse is so tough, he bulled his way through there on the turn. I don’t think Kent Desormeaux, who was on the leader, knew Drefong had lost his rider. He must have thought Mike Smith became the bravest rider in the world the way he came through there on the rail.”
Not only did Drefong not draw the rail for the Forego, he’s perfectly drawn on the extreme outside, just as he was here one year ago when he dominated the Grade 1 King’s Bishop from gate to wire, winning by 3 1/4 lengths over Economic Model.
“The draw was to our advantage, and speed is his weapon,” Baffert said. “He looks to have a pace advantage, but they still have to run and show up.”
Mind Your Biscuits passed the idled Drefong in the pecking order atop the deep sprint division following impressive victories in the Dubai Golden Shaheen and more recently in the Grade 2 Belmont Sprint. Mind Your Biscuits will try to avenge a couple of losses to Drefong last year at 3. He finished fifth beaten four lengths here in the 2016 King’s Bishop, and third, just 1 1/4 lengths behind Drefong, in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint.
“He’s definitely not a horse we’re trying to duck,” said Chad Summers, part-owner and trainer of Mind Your Biscuits. “We thought we were going to meet him last year in the Malibu and again in the Golden Shaheen. We’re definitely in a different place now with our horse than we were here last year in the King’s Bishop. It’s a great matchup. We’ve been onetwo in the division for a long time. I just wish the circumstances were different vis-a-vis the pace. You don’t see many seven-furlong races with one speed horse and nine closers, but that’s how this one shapes up.”
Summers said the Grade 1 Forego has been a primary goal for Mind Your Biscuits for quite some time.
“Being from New York, the Forego is a race we’ve been pointing to for a long time, since the Breeders’ Cup,” Summers said.
“Although it’s obviously not our ultimate goal for the year, it has a special place for all of us associated with this horse.”
There are plenty of options for those trying to beat the two favorites, including Divining Rod, who enters the Forego having won three of his last five starts, with one of those losses a close second-place finish behind Connect in the Grade 1 Cigar Mile last fall at Aqueduct.
Other key contenders include the 7-year-old Stallwalkin’ Dude, who finished third behind A. P. Indian in the 2016 Forego; the multiple graded stakes winner Tom’s Ready; Belmont Sprint runner-up Awesome Slew; and the multiple Grade 3 winner Tommy Macho.
KEY CONTENDERS
Drefong, by Gio Ponti Last 3 Beyers: NA-103-103
◗ He’ll share high weight of 124 pounds with Mind Your Biscuits under the allowance conditions of the Forego, with the two conceding from four to six pounds to the others.
Mind Your Biscuits, by Posse Last 3 Beyers: 106-101-107
◗ Summers admitted Mind Your Biscuits was not himself when he first arrived locally, but has “blossomed” since changing barns about 10 days ago. Summers confirmed him as a Forego starter following his 49.60 half-mile work over the Oklahoma training track on Aug. 18.