Mind Your Biscuits Tends to Business in Belmont Sprint

The last time Mind Your Biscuits raced at Belmont Park, he was an allowance winner about to launch his way into the stratosphere. 

The New York-bred son of Posse returned July 8 for his first run on American soil after a March 25 victory in the Dubai Golden Shaheen Sponsored by Gulf News (G1), took jockey Joel Rosario on a spin around Big Sandy, and cruised to an easy $350,000 payday in the Belmont Sprint Championship Stakes (G2). 

In the window between that July 4 allowance win of 2016 and the Saturday victory 369 days later, Mind Your Biscuits won the Amsterdam Stakes (G2) at Saratoga Race Course, bobbled in the Ketel One King's Bishop Stakes (G1) there and wound up fifth, rebounded with a runner-up effort in the Gallant Bob Stakes (G3) at Parx Racing, and was elevated from third to second in the TwinSpires Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) due to the disqualification of runner-up Masochistic. He punched through in the Malibu Stakes (G1) to pick up his first-top-level score at the end of the season for trainer Robert Falcone, Jr., was moved to the barn of co-owner and fledgling trainer Chad Summers, and, after missing by just a neck to Unified in the Gulfstream Park Sprint Stakes (G2) to start his 4-year-old campaign, wowed the world in Dubai with his three-length tour de force.

"He just gives you 100% all the time," said Rosario, who has been in the irons for five of Mind Your Biscuits' six wins. "He does his job."

When Green Gratto jumped to the lead in the seven-furlong Belmont Sprint Championship, Mind Your Biscuits was content to settle in fourth behind a flight that included Unified and Stallwalkin' Dude. A quarter-mile went in :22.67 with Mind Your Biscuits about six lengths off the pace, but he began to make up ground on the outside as the half-mile went in :45.64.

When Green Gratto tired turning for home, Mind Your Biscuits was in perfect striking position to inherit the lead—and he did just that. With a right-handed tap on the shoulder from Rosario, the fleet chestnut soared 3 1/2 lengths clear of his rallying challenger, Awesome Slew. The final time after three-quarters in 1:09.90 was 1:21.84 on a fast track.

"I took the lead a little early, but the 'Biscuit' got it done," Rosario said. "Turning for home, I got his attention just to keep that speed, to hold it together at that point. He knows exactly where the money is."

That money has been racking up for Mind Your Biscuits, who now has earnings of $2,207,166. He was Summers' first grade 1 winner, and Saturday gave Summers his first victory at Belmont Park. Summers noted that the $600,000 Forego Stakes (G1) Aug. 26 at Saratoga will be his stable star's next target.

"We know how good he was training going into this," he said. "There were still some doubters who said it was a subpar Dubai. We didn't think so. We know what he's capable of and we're ready for the rest of the year. It makes me think a mile won't be a problem for him, maybe a little bit further. He kept going and going and kicked away.

"We'll go to the Forego right now and then look at all options," Summers added. "But the Forego is our next goal and hopefully (win) an Eclipse Award as well."



Sent off as the 7-5 choice in a field of seven older horses, Mind Your Biscuits returned $4.80, $3.30, and $2.10. Awesome Slew paid $4.90 and $3.40 at odds of 5-1, and Tommy Macho ($3.80) completed the trifecta. Stallwalkin' Dude, Green Gratto, Fellowship, and Unified completed the order of finish.

Picking up a Breeders' Cup Challenge "Win and You're In" ticket to the Nov. 4 Breeders' Cup Sprint at Del Mar, Mind Your Biscuits improved his record to 6-6-2 from 16 starts. He was bred by Jumping Jack Racing out of the Toccet mare Jazzmane, and races for a partnership that includes J Stables, Head of Plains Partners, Daniel Summers, Chad Summers, and Michael Kisber.