Adam Coglianese Photo

Security Code hopes to unlock more stakes success in $100K Biogio’s Rose

by Keith McCalmont

WellSpring Stables’ Security Code will stretch out another furlong as she looks to double up on stakes scores in Saturday’s $100,000 Biogio’s Rose, a one-turn mile for older New York-bred fillies and mares, at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Trained by Phil Serpe, the 4-year-old Frosted bay earned her first stakes score last out in her seventh attempt when a neck better than returning rival Venti Valentine in the seven-furlong state-bred Broadway on February 17 at the Big A.

With returning rider Jose Lezcano up, Security Code tracked in third position before advancing three-wide to overtake the pacesetting Kant Hurry Love with enough in the tank to stave off the late charge of Venti Valentine.

Security Code has banked $419,040 through a 19-5-5-5 record with a trio of wins at six furlongs and a pair of scores at seven-eighths. She finished a distant fifth in her lone attempt traveling a one-turn mile in the 2022 state-bred Maid of the Mist here.

“I'm a bit unsure about the mile,” Serpe said. “I think she'll run a good race but the way the stakes are coming up for older New York-bred fillies, the next sprint race isn't until the end of June [Dancin Renee]. We'll give it a try. I want to try and support the New York program, so we'll give it a shot and see what happens.”

Security Code has posted Beyer Speed Figures in the high 70s in each of her last three outings while racing close to the pace, but Serpe said the consistent bay, who will exit the inside post Saturday carrying 122 pounds, is versatile.

“She's pretty tractable. When she was younger, no matter how we schooled her it seemed every time she came out of the gate, she broke tardy for some reason,” Serpe said. “We'll see how the race sets up. There's more distance here, too, but I think she's just a gutsy filly and you can do almost anything with her.”

Bred by Rockridge Stud, Ascendant Farms and Godolphin, Security Code, a half-sister to stakes-winner No Mo' Spending, is out of the graded stakes-placed Montbrook mare Stopspendingmaria.

Ten Strike Racing’s Lady Mine [post 5, Dylan Davis, 118 pounds] has won four of her last five starts while racing in sprint events, including a 3 1/2-length score last out in a six-furlong state-bred optional-claimer on February 29 here.

"I think we found that she likes to be able to settle early on and let her get herself against the bridle, and then do what she wants from there,” trainer Jeremiah Englehart said. “She is very similar to that in the morning, too. We kind of let her train the way she wants to train, and she seems happy right now with what we are doing with her. Hopefully that continues."

The 4-year-old First Samurai chestnut was haltered by Englehart for $30,000 out of a winning effort in April and she paid immediate dividends by winning first out for current connections in an open starter allowance in June at Belmont Park.

Lady Mine returned to action in December here with a state-bred allowance score while racing from a six-month layoff. She narrowly missed keeping her win streak alive when a neck in arrears of Sue Ellen Mishkin in a seven-furlong state-bred optional-claiming tilt on January 19 at the Big A.

Although Lady Mine had utilized an off-the-pace approach in previous victories, the chestnut found herself on the lead at the half-mile call last out and won geared down while earning a career-best 82 Beyer Speed Figure.

Englehart said he is hopeful the added distance will benefit Lady Mine.

“I always thought there was a possibility of her handling more ground. The way she came out of her last race, I thought it'd be advantageous to at least nominate to kind of see how we fit,” Englehart said. “When we claimed her, I thought she was someone that would handle more distance – it’s just dependent on how tough the race might come up. She's made it worth a shot, at least to see how she will handle it."

Bred by Anlyn Farms, the $4,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase is out of the Dialed In mare Lady Moyne. She has banked $260,780 through a 12-5-2-1 record.

NY Final Furlong Racing Stable and Parkland Thoroughbreds’ multiple graded stakes-placed Venti Valentine [post 7, Manny Franco, 124 pounds] will look to secure her sixth career stakes win for trainer Jorge Abreu.

The 5-year-old Firing Line chestnut, bred by Final Furlong Racing Stable and Maspeth Stable, has banked $741,600 through an ultra-consistent record of 18-6-4-4 topped by state-bred wins in the 2021 Maid of the Mist, 2022 Bay Ridge, and last year’s Johnstone Mile Handicap and Jack Betta Be Rite to go along with an open-company score in the 2022 Busher Invitational. Along the way, she has earned graded placings at the Big A in the 2021 Grade 2 Demoiselle, 2022 Grade 3 Gazelle and the Grade 3 Go for Wand in December.

Last out, she made a seven-wide run to close from fourth position and complete the exacta behind Security Code to mark her seventh consecutive in-the-money effort.

Venti Valentine is a half-sister to the multiple stakes-winner Espresso Shot, who won this event in 2021 for NY Final Furlong Stable, Maspeth Stable and Parkland Thoroughbreds.

Bon Adieu [post 6, Luis Rivera, Jr., 118 pounds] brings a three-race win streak to her stakes debut for trainer Rudy Rodriguez, who co-owns with Werner J Stable.

The 5-year-old Ghostzapper mare was claimed for $30,000 out of a frontrunning score against fellow state-breds in September at Saratoga Race Course. She finished second while facing open starter allowance company in her first two outings for current connections before breaking through at that level in December here with a gate-to-wire 3 3/4-length score.

Bon Adieu has followed with a pair of similar frontrunning scores against state-breds here, winning an optional-claimer by 3 1/4-lengths last out on February 19 after a narrow nose win over sloppy and sealed footing in a key allowance that saw the runner-up Kara Para and third-place Racing Colors win next out.

“We're very happy with her. She's coming into every race really good,” Rodriguez said. “She's the type of filly that needs 5-to-6 weeks between races and that's when she performs the best.”

Rodriguez said Bon Adieu’s speed and stamina work to her advantage.

“Not too many horses want to go the distance and when you have a horse that wants to go the distance, you have to take advantage of it,” Rodriguez said. “She looks like she wants to go a mile. Maybe at Saratoga we’ll stretch her out to a mile and an eighth. She's been a very useful filly and I’m just happy to have her in the barn.”

Bon Adieu, a $25,000 purchase at the 2019 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale, is out of the Tiznow mare Viva Sheila, who is a half-sister to multiple stakes-winner Preachintothedevil. Her second dam is 2005 Grade 1 Prioress-winner Acey Deucey.

Rounding out a competitive field are graded stakes-placed Stonewall Star [post 8, Isaac Castillo, 122 pounds], who races with blinkers off for trainer Horacio De Paz; multiple stakes-placed Bustin Bay [post 4, Kendrick Carmouche, 120 pounds] for trainer Linda Rice; stakes-placed Sweetest Princess [post 2, Eric Cancel, 118 pounds] for conditioner James Ferraro; and the Patrick Quick-trained three-time winner Sweet Mystery [post 3, Trevor McCarthy, 118 pounds].

The Biogio’s Rose is slated as Race 7 on Saturday’s eight-race card. First post is 1:20 p.m. Eastern.

America’s Day at the Races will present daily coverage and analysis of the winter meet at Aqueduct Racetrack on the networks of FOX Sports. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/tv-schedule.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Aqueduct Racetrack, and the best way to bet every race of the winter meet. Available to horseplayers nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.