It’s a peaceful afternoon in the barns at Belmont Park.  You hear the leaves rustling in the wind. The birds are having the time of their lives singing and chirping away. There is the soft plodding sound of hooves as a horse walks quietly in the shed row. In the distance, there is someone singing in Spanish. Across the street, you can hear snatches of French as trainer Christophe Clement gestures to his phone. The mourning doves coo while pigeons break the silence with the sudden clap of their wings as they take flight. There are the normal sounds of city life as jets and helicopters pass by overhead while large hay trucks rumble by beneath their sleek neighbors. A small American flag snaps back and forth in the wind. The horses in the barn lean out of their stalls in expectation. Suddenly the afternoon tranquility is shattered by a single high-pitched nicker. The horses turn their heads and look in both directions but no one is seen. But Snickers the mini horse knows better. The man who has rescued her has arrived and she announces this to the world. She waits impatiently for him and politely taps the side of her stall to remind him that she is expecting to see him soon.

Robert Falcone Jr. is an old soul in a young man’s body. My first impression of him is that he is one of those extraordinary people who is wise beyond his years. There was never any question about his path in life. He simply states “I’ve been in horse racing my entire life.” He spent his childhood at the track with his father, Thoroughbred owner Robert Falcone Sr. He convinced trainer Dominick Schettino to hire him as a hot walker and worked his way into being his assistant trainer. 

With Schettino’s support and the help of his father, he broke out on his own as a trainer. He is well known to the racing world as the conditioner of the champion Mind Your Biscuits, who he had in his barn in 2016. He shepherded Mind Your Biscuits through nine races including winning the Grade 2 Amsterdam Stakes and the Grade 1 Malibu Stakes at Santa Anita and placing second at the TwinSpires Breeders’ Cup Sprint.  Mind Your Biscuits went on to win the Dubai Golden Shaheen with Chad Summers as his trainer/co-owner.

His experience belies his years. I followed him as he went from stall to stall attending to his current horses. Each horse nuzzled him and let him do what he needed to do without any ruckus or fuss. Even the one horse with an “attitude” was putty in his hands. He worked quickly and efficiently. Everyone was rewarded with pats, rubs and a large carrot. 

As we walked through the barn, there continued to be a very polite insistent tap. It was the kind of tap that said, “Do NOT forget me!  I will NOT be forgotten!”  Snickers was reminding Falcone that he had better hurry up because it was her turn.

Cannoli on April 8 when they found him in Snickers' stall. (Courtesy Robert Falcone Jr.)

Snickers is a dark chocolate miniature horse who had fallen on hard times. It is one of those great moments in life when two paths intersect and it’s for the good of all. Falcone needed a goat to calm a horse in his barn. It’s quite common for barns to use a goat as a companion animal. He and his girlfriend Natalie Fawkes went to an auction in New Jersey. Unfortunately there were no goats for sale that night.  So they decided to look at the other animals for sale.

“We were walking around and saw the mini ponies lined up. They were tied to the wall and were all crazy and jumping around. Snickers was the only one with her head down to the floor. It didn’t look too good. We felt so bad for her. We thought since we are all the way here maybe we should buy her and take her back. It turned out when she was on the auction block that they announced she was pregnant. Oh man! We didn’t realize that. But at the time we said we will get her anyway.” The only other information they knew about her is that she is 2 years old. 

They named her Snickers. “It took her several weeks for her to warm up to us. She was kind of scared of humans. Very hesitant. She was very cautious and skeptical when we first got her. She wasn’t eating. Now once she hears we are in the barn, she starts nickering and hollering.”  And she has been excellent as a companion animal.

Falcone was aware that mini horses sometimes have pregnancy complications so they were on high alert. Snickers had an ultrasound and they thought it would be another two months before she foaled. “Sure enough, one week after the ultrasound, we came in the morning and there was a baby in the stall with her!”  It was a complete but absolutely wonderful and amazing surprise! It was April 8 and they were blessed with captivating and charming Lilliputian pinto foal. At first he was thinking of naming him Oreo (continuing the candy like theme to match Snickers’ name).  Then Fawkes’ mother Celia said, “What about Cannoli?” Falcone’s face lit up with joy at the memory. “I’m Italian. He’s black and white like a cannoli and I thought, ‘We definitely are going to name him Cannoli!’” The name is perfect! 

I was smitten. It’s such a pleasure to watch precious Cannoli frolic in his little pen next to his mom. When I initially found him, I was so captivated that I forgot to take photos at first. He is so tiny! He is so curious! He is so cute! He walks over to the gate and licks your hand. His little thick mane is like a crazy bird on his head and reminds me of Christopher Lloyd’s kooky hair in the movie “Back to the Future.”

The biggest horse at Belmont this year is the baby! When I got off the airplane, I headed straight to the track and asked my friends “What’s the buzz this race?” I was not prepared for the squeals and exclamations as my friends told me repeatedly “CANNOLI! You MUST SEE CANNOLI!” I racked my brain for a Thoroughbred named Cannoli and said “Who?” With smiles as wide as a pizza pie, I was told that there was a mini horse who had the most beautiful baby and that I had to go see it, “stat.” Then they produced photos and videos that have been posted on Twitter.  We stood there cooing in bliss as our brains (overloaded on cuteness) only allowed us to mutter simple phrases such as “Look at him! Look at HIM!”

Falcone Jr. visits Snickers and Cannoli. (Julie June Stewart photo)

Falcone said that a lot of people are coming by to see Cannoli and Snickers. “The other day there was a bunch of photographers here. One of them said, ‘Is it weird that everyone is standing here while Lady Eli is on the track right now?’” 

I totally understand. There is something about babies that can bring out the best in us. We live in a world of amazing Thoroughbreds that are blessed with sky high legs as they tower above us with their personalities and attitudes. Yet when we come face to face with a pint sized little squirt with a big horse personality, it’s impossible to not melt.

Falcone stops and thinks about the impact that Snickers and Cannoli have had on his life and on his barn.  “It’s cool having them around. It’s happy. We leave the house at 4:30 and get here at 5 a.m. You work all morning and then you turn around and see them jumping around playing. The morning may not be a perfect morning. You may be tired. Then you see them playing. It’s nice to see that and it’s good to have them around.”

He is proudly holding the new custom leather halter made for Cannoli. “It’s important that people are aware that the kind of auctions where Snickers was found exist, and try to do something to help out. Not only did we save Snickers, we saved her baby. So we were able to do something about it.”

Snickers is having a grand time munching on her carrot that Falcone brought her. She is happy and content. Cannoli is flirting with visitors and giving them soft kisses. One can feel the peace and quiet that emanates throughout the barn under the leadership of this remarkable young man. As a friend leans down to pet Cannoli, she whispers “You are all that is right in this world.” It is going to be an amazing journey to watch Cannoli grow up as the “big horse at Belmont” while watching the career of his benefactor Falcone broaden. Indeed, when a person makes a difference in one little life, it can have an everlasting effect on others. No matter their size.