3 minute read

After a disappointing end to 2017 Mind Your Biscuits, winner of last year’s Dubai Golden Shaheen sponsored by Gulf News, proved he deserved to come back to Meydan again with a thrilling victory in the 2018 renewal.

Mind Your Biscuits was slow off at the break, trailing the field for the majority of the 1200m contest. With 400m to go Joel Resario finally got the response he had been looking for earlier in the race and the pair flew down the middle of the wide dirt track. With little time to spare they chased down X Y Jet and 2017 Breeders’ Cup Sprint winner Roy H, who seemed untouchable as they battled it out in the last 100m.

With mere metres left in the race, the Chad Summers-trained Mind Your Biscuits ate the distance between his opponents to snatch the valuable first place prize for himself by a head from XY Jet with Roy H three-quarters of a length further back. He completed the race in 1:10.12, a track record.

Jordan Sport was first out of the gate to set the early pace with XY Jet hot on his heels. My Catch settled into third position and Japanese invader Matera Sky took the fourth position on the back stretch but moved up to third position as they rounded the far turn. As they turned for home Jordan Sport began to fade, giving XY Jet the lead with Roy H chasing hard. Neither seemed aware of the looming threat that was Mind Your Biscuits until he swooped in the final strides.

“We had lost four in a row but we had reasons for all four,” Summers said. “He’s a horse that knows where the wire is and he just never gives up. For my staff in New York and Florida and internationally it’s such an unbelievable thing for them - the team that gets everything done. It’s never about the trainer and never should be about the trainer. For the horse, it’s important he showed who the real Mind Your Biscuits was.”

The order of finish was completed by Wild Dude, Matera Sky, Jordan Sport, Reynaldothewizard and My Catch.

Race Quotes:

Trainer Chad Summers (Mind Your Biscuits, 1st) – “We had lost four in a row but we had reasons for all four. He’s a horse that knows where the wire is and he just never gives up. For my staff in NY and Florida and internationally it’s such an unbelievable thing for them - the team that gets everything done. It’s never about the trainer and never should be about the trainer. For the horse, it’s important he showed who the real Mind Your Biscuits was.

“We respect the international community so much. We’ve seen what Wesley Ward has done as an ambassador for the sport and not be afraid to ship out. To ship and do it and overcome everything, and Lasix free, it’s important. To have a horse peak on the right day and the right time, this is the race we pointed for and it took to the wire but he came through for us.”

Jockey Joel Rosario (Mind Your Biscuits, 1st) – “I have a lot of faith in this horse every time I ride him. I just let him be ‘Biscuits’ and do what he wanted. He always gives 100%. I’m so happy, Chad did a very good job.”

Jockey Emisael Jaramillo (XY Jet, 2nd) –"I was told to break on terms but the horse to my outside was much faster away. He showed plenty of speed and I thought I had the race won. He ran great."

Trainer Peter Miller (Roy H, 3rd) –“The start cost him the race. He got left at the start and if he doesn’t get left, he wins. That’s horse racing.”

Jockey Kent Desormeaux (Roy H, 3rd) – "He stumbled leaving the gate and after one length we were eight lengths back. He made up five lengths quite quickly but then got hit across the head by a neighbour's whip and it was all too much for him. He was the best horse in the race."

Trainer Hideyuki Mori (Matera Sky, 5th) – “He didn’t take the lead and I was worried about the kickback. The pace was pretty fast, but he ran pretty well.”

Jockey Yutaka Take (Matera Sky, 5th) – “The track felt a bit firmer than usual. He was able to follow the speed well, he moved nicely during the trip. This was a stronger field than he has been up against in the past so this was a good race for him. He keep improving.”

Jockey Adrie de Vries (Jordan Sport, 6th) – "He had to do a lot to get the lead, it was not the same as last time when he kicked on. It was not the case today."

Trainer Satish Seemar (Reynaldothewizard, 7th) – “That was his last race. He will now be retired. He just could not go with the younger horses tonight. He is the most popular horse in the UAE and doesn’t owe anyone anything. The good thing is that we will retire him 100 per cent with everything healthy. It’s the fair thing to do for the horse.”