By Alan Carasso
Last seen finishing an even fifth behind 'TDN Rising Star' Locked (Gun Runner) in the GII Cigar Mile Handicap at Aqueduct on Dec. 7, Atlantic Six Racing's Book'em Danno (Bucchero) has emerged from the effort none the worse for wear and has arrived at trainer Derek Ryan's winter base at Tampa Bay Downs, the partnership's Jay Briscione said Wednesday.
“He came out of it good,” Briscione said. “I think we were planning on backing off a little bit. We gave him a complete exam and, knock on wood, he's good. It's just a question of how much time we give him and where we go next.”
The Cigar Mile marked Book'em Danno's lone unplaced effort from seven starts in 2024, which included a half-length success in the GI Woody Stephens Stakes at Saratoga in June and victories in the Pasco Stakes and Jersey Shore Stakes, Even in the races he didn't win, Book'em Danno covered himself in glory when third in the GI H. Allen Jerkens Stakes and when narrowly runner-up to Forever Young (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn}) in the G3 Saudi Derby.
With a return to Riyadh for the $20-million G1 Saudi Cup in the back of their minds entering the Cigar Mile, the gelding's connections were left scratching their heads and now face a bit of a conundrum as they try to chart a course for 2025.
“On his best he's going to be right there, but Locked ran a giant number and we might not have beaten him anyways,” Briscione said, referring to the Cigar Mile. “But I don't think he ran his best, whether that was a function of him being down inside or maybe a tough campaign beginning to take a toll a bit.
“He hasn't missed a dance. He shows up every race and he didn't get beat by all that much, but he just didn't show that same sort of run, just don't think he really got a chance to run. He hasn't had the best trips the last three races, but that's racing luck and that's something you have to deal with.”
The riches in the desert over the coming months are obviously motivation enough to consider a Saudi and/or Dubai program for Book'em Danno. But there is a longer-view and more conservative approach that must also be considered from the perspective of Briscione and his partners.
“From the standpoint of Saudi, it's going to depend on how much of a break he's going to need right now and then, thinking out loud, do we really want to run [in Saudi] and come back and give him three months, like we did after the Saudi Derby?” he said. “It's about risk versus reward. There's a lot of money out there, but everyone has their eyes open to those races now. So, based on the horses that look like they might be going, my thinking would be no [for the Saudi Cup].”
Were they to opt out of the world's richest race, there are contests over trips Book'em Danno has already proven himself–seven-figure events going six furlongs in Saudi [$2-million G2 Riyadh Dirt Sprint] and at Meydan [$2-million G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen]–or the $1-million G2 Godolphin Mile on the World Cup undercard.
“He's won at three-quarters and he's going to make a run from out of it, so I wouldn't rule [the Riyadh Dirt Sprint] out,” Briscione said. “If we were to go over, maybe we'd stay for the Dubai race [Golden Shaheen] or the Mile. The question becomes do you take the shot against tough competition and travel–and he's proved he can do it–but is it maybe better to start him off here in April sometime and run through the season? That's a decision we'll have to make. I think within a couple of weeks we'll have to decide. From a physical standpoint, I don't know that he's going to need a lot of time.”
Book'em Danno has taken the Atlantic Six partners and trainer Derek Ryan on the ride of a lifetime and no one would begrudge the team if a path of lesser resistance is ultimately selected.
“In the long run, he's a gelding, these Grade Is and Grade IIs don't mean a lot to him and there's a lot of other races throughout the year that would suit him fine,” Briscione said. “We'd like to keep him going, we've never been in this position and it's very exciting.”
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