Last term's GI Breeders' Cup Sprint hero and 'TDN Rising Star' Drefong(Gio Ponti) will meet this year's G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen winner Mind Your Biscuits (Posse) in a loaded renewal of Saturday's GI Forego S., a 'Win and You're In' for the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile.
Drefong, a powerful winner on this card in last year's GI King's Bishop S., ducked in at the gap and unseated Hall of Fame rider Mike Smith in his GI Bing Crosby S. comebacker at Del Mar July 29.
“He's doing well, he shipped well,” Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert said of the 2016 champion sprinter. “That last one was such a disaster, but if it wasn't for that, maybe he wouldn't be up there [at Saratoga]. He ran well there last year, but he just needs to show up. I just worry about that.”
Mind Your Biscuits, a rallying third (eventually promoted to second), beaten only 1 1/4 lengths behind Drefong in the Breeders' Cup Sprint, returned from Dubai with a dazzling victory in the GII Belmont Sprint Championship S. July 8.
Divining Rod (Tapit), just a head short after leading in the stretch in the GI Cigar Mile H. last November, returned from the bench with a sharp tally in Laurel's Polynesian S. over a muddy course Aug. 12.
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