by Kimberly French, USTA Web Newsroom Senior Correspondent

Kimberly French

Louisville, KY — Mykindachip would not allow frigid temperatures and a stinging :26.2 first quarter spoil his debut in a $14,500 Open Pace at Miami Valley Raceway on Saturday (Jan. 10). Although the 6-year-old gelding is a relatively new addition to Dan Dubeansky’s barn, when they turned for home, he would not have traded places with anyone.

“I bred and trained world champions in the 1980s and I’ve been in this business for decades,” said the Xenia, Ohio, resident. “Throughout all that time and with all the horses I’ve trained, I’ve never had a driver get off one and tell me they are perfect. There is something that can always be fixed, but when Kayne (Kauffman) was done driving him the first time, he told me he was perfect. This is the only horse I’ve ever heard that about.”

Conrad photo

Mykindachip is closing in on $400,000 in career earnings.

The gelding and Kauffman, Miami Valley’s defending driving champion, will tackle open company again at that facility on Saturday (Jan. 17) in race 12. Mykindachip will begin his journey from post position three and seeks to add the winner’s share of the $16,500 purse to the $12,750 he has already collected this year.

“With how cold it was last week, being parked outside through that first quarter and holding on to win in 1:52.1, I thought that was an amazing mile,” Dubeansky said.

A son of Art’s Chip and the Precious Bunny mare Figmental, Mykindachip was purchased by Carl Atley on Oct. 5, 2014, in a sale arranged by Mark O’Mara. Dubeansky and Atley were thrilled to acquire the victor of $396,732 from 86 pari-mutuel miles.

Mykindachip has never earned less than $73,000 in any of the four full seasons he has campaigned, has eclipsed the $100,000 mark annually on two occasions and established his mark of 1:49.3s in 2014.

The gelding is the last of six foals from his dam and is the most prolific in terms of purse money collected but his older sister and brothers set the bar high. Mykindachip is a half sibling to the mare Marks-Mindy (Mark Johnathan) p,4,1:52.2 ($353,525) and the geldings Electric Lad (Electric Yankee) p,1:51.2s ($334,710), Marky Mike (Mark Jonathan) p,1:52.1s ($359,949) and Mark’s Way (Mark Johnathan) p,4,1:51.4s ($191,737).

“Unfortunately, we were lucky enough to get him because his former owner (Shane Bowermaster) had diabetes and he needed to sell this horse to raise some money,” Dubeansky said. “But this was a family horse and he was very well taken care of.

“He races with no boots, poles or bandages. I only put run down bandages on him just as a precaution and his legs look like a yearling’s. I don’t think he’s ever had a bandage on him his whole life. All you need to do with this horse is put a bridle on him without an overcheck and off he goes.”

It is not only Mykindachip’s physical attributes, however, that have contributed to his successful career. He is mentally tough, minds his manners and is excellent to drive.

“Kayne told me he can do anything he wants with him and he was very happy to drive him,” Dubeansky said. “He’s great around the barn, too and just loves to be turned out. That’s what I did with him after I got him about two months ago.

“He’s an Indiana-bred, so Mark raced him at Hoosier Park until they closed. I turned him out for a month and will do the same thing after Miami Valley with the intention of going to Scioto with him.”

It’s a long season, but ultimately Mykindachip will probably compete in his native state later this year.

“I have a couple 2-year-olds for Mr. Atley that I hope will come along nicely and that we can take with him to Indiana,” Dubeansky said. “Or since he is an Indiana-bred, we can just have Mark race him again. It just depends on how he holds up and the money we are racing for.

“But I can’t say enough about this horse and how tremendous it is to have him. He is a horseman’s dream.”