NYRA/Chelsea Durand
By Sarah Mace
Mind Your Biscuits (Posse) collected his first career stakes tally on a very big stage Saturday, when he won the Grade 2, $200,000 Amsterdam Stakes for 3-year-olds at 6 1/2 furlongs Saratoga Race Course after coming came from off the pace with a rally at the rail. His victory in the traditional prep for the King’s Bishop on Travers day, August 27, gave the colt’s trainer, 22-year-old Robert Falcone, Jr., his first stakes victory.
Mind Your Biscuits, who is owned by a partnership of J. Stables, M. Scott Summers, Hope Summers and Daniel Summers, came into the race sparking on all cylinders. Adding blinkers at Belmont on July 4, he won a first-level state-bred allowance by more than nine lengths while facing elders. Two races back, he finished a strong second in the Mike Lee.
Bet down to 3-1 second choice under Joel Rosario, who piloted the chestnut colt to victory in last out, Mind Your Biscuits broke cleanly from the outside post and set up last of seven, more than five lengths behind 2-1 favorite Maniacal, who was hustled to the front and posted an opening quarter in 22.36 and half in 45.41.
Making his way over to the rail on the backstretch, Mind Your Biscuits began to pick up steam around the far turn, luckily managing to avoid trouble when Quijote bobbled badly from third early on the bend.
Still inside, Mind Your Biscuits cut the corner into upper stretch, advanced into second along the rail and set his sights on Maniacal, who still enjoyed the lead. Slipping past his rival in a clear path to the inside in the final sixteenth, the colt hit the wire a 1 3/4-length winner in a final time of 1:15.25. Runner-up Maniacal finished 2 1/4 lengths ahead of Its All Relevant in third. Uncle Vinny, Counterforce, King Kranz and Quijote completed the order of finish. Ready Dancer was scratched. [VIDEO]
Jockey Joel Rosario’s comment was short, sweet and to the point: “For a second I thought the horse in front [Maniacal] wanted to stay there but I took the chance to get inside and it worked. [Mind Your Biscuits] is very, very nice horse and I’m very happy with him today.”
Falcone, for his part, spoke of his confidence in his charge, whom he said was “a racehorse” and “loves his job.” “[This win] wasn’t really a surprise,” said Falcone. “We always knew he was a good horse. I think the blinkers on really turned the corner – it really was the finishing touches for him. He matured a lot, too, since he has been in my barn. Every race he would run, he would come back and mature more.”
NYRA/Adam Coglianese
Mind Your Biscuits hit the board in three out of four starts for conditioner Roderick Rodriguez as a juvenile, including a third place finish in the New York Breeders’ Futurity at Finger Lakes, and joined Falcone’s string for his sophomore campaign.
Of the incident on the turn Falcone said, “It looked like Joel [Rosario] had to check to get around [Quijote]. It looked like a little interruption for us. For that to happen, and for him to have to check like that, and to still make that move, was really impressive.”
Falcone added of the personal milestone, “This [win] means a lot. I’m just happy to be here – it’s the greatest horses, the best trainers and the best jockeys, it’s just great. But to win on a day like this is really something.”
Bred by Jumping Jack Racing LLC and foaled at Sue and Gary Lundy’s Cedar Ridge Farm in Pine Plains, Mind Your Biscuits is one of three winners from three foals to start out of Jazzmane, an unraced Kentucky-bred daughter of Toccet. The mare has two more reported foals, a 2-year-old filly by Toccet and yearling colt by Officer.
Mind Your Biscuits, who has earned $285,366 from three wins, three seconds and two thirds in nine starts, was purchased as a short yearling by Machmer Hall at the 2014 Keeneland January sale. Offered at auction twice more he RNA’d both times for $47,000, first at the Fasig-Tipton New York-bred preferred yearling sale and at last year’s OBS Spring 2-year-old sale.
Posse stands at Rockridge Stud in Hudson. His 2016 stud fee was $5,000.
