Flashy and exciting New Jersey-bred Book'em Danno took his talents out of his home state Sunday to remain unbeaten in the rained-off Futurity S., which originally carried Grade III status as well as a “Win and You're In” berth to the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint before the surface change. The Breeders' Cup will conduct a review of the race Monday to determine if an automatic invitation will be extended to the winner.
A 9 1/2-length debut romper against fellow state-breds at Monmouth Aug. 12, the dark bay gelding led home a 1-2-3 for NJ-breds in the open Smoke Glacken S. Sept. 9. He was further flattered when runner-up Sea Streak (Sea Wizard) ventured to Ozone Park last weekend to best a salty group of local maidens, and loomed very large here when the turf question was taken out of the equation.
Away a touch awkwardly from his outside draw, Book'em Danno sat perched out wide and within striking distance as Works for Me posted splits of :22.09 and :45.27. The chalk ranged up ominously entering the straight, leveled off and widened at will.
“He broke well and I had a good trip. Two horses went to the front and I was just stalking them from off the pace. When I asked him to go, he responded very well,” said winning pilot Jose Ortiz, fresh off a pair of Grade I scores Saturday at Keeneland. “I rode him like much the best and he was much the best. I worked him in the morning and he showed in the morning that he's a good horse. I was very confident. I got a great post today and he just responded very well for me when I asked him. He's a nice horse.”
Despite Book'em Danno's success so far sprinting, as well as his sire's, trainer Derek Ryan said his trainee should stretch out: “He'll go as far as I want him to go. I had a horse a few years ago–[MGSW and 2009 GI Kentucky Derby and GI Preakness S. runner-up] Musket Man (Yonaguska)–and everyone told me [about stretching out], 'he's six furlongs, he can't do that.' You train them to do whatever you want.”
As for trying the one-mile Nashua S. Nov. 5, Ryan said, “We'll see what we're going to do with him. We might try the Nashua, but I don't like to over-run a young 2-year-old. Next year is a long year. I might be tempted to go a little farther, who knows.”
Pedigree Notes:
Book'em Danno is one of three black-type winners for his young sire (by Kantharos), and will be his first graded stakes winner should the American Graded Stakes Committee reinstate the race's original grade.
It was a very productive week for the winner's dam Adorabella, whose yearling colt by Classic Empire topped the first session of Fasig-Tipton's Midlantic Fall Yearlings sale. Read more here.
Sunday, Aqueduct
FUTURITY S.*, $145,500, Belmont The Big A, 10-8, 2yo, 6f (off turf), 1:09.47, ft.
1–BOOK'EM DANNO, 122, g, 2, by Bucchero
1st Dam: Adorabella, by Ghostzapper
2nd Dam: Alydorable, by Arch
3rd Dam: Esprit d'Escalier, by Diesis (GB)
O-Atlantic Six Racing, LLC; B-Gregory J Kilka & Bright View
Farm (NJ); T-Derek S. Ryan; J-Jose L. Ortiz. $82,500. Lifetime
Record: 3-3-0-0, $200,625. *1/2 to Girl Trouble (Fast Anna),
MSW, $283,490. Click for the free Equineline catalogue-style
pedigree.
2–Works for Me, 120, c, 2, Daddy Long Legs–Bella's Game, by
Soldat. 1ST BLACK TYPE. O/B-KatieRich Farms, Chris Connors &
Larry Appel (NY); T-Joseph R. Lee. $30,000.
3–Where's Chris, 120, c, 2, Twirling Candy–Sea Queen, by
Lemon Drop Kid. ($80,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP; $20,000 2yo '23
OBSAPR). 1ST BLACK TYPE. O-Nice Guys Stables; B-The
Neuman Group (KY); T-Richard E. Dutrow, Jr. $18,000.
Margins: 6HF, HD, 4 3/4. Odds: 0.40, 5.00, 4.70.
Also Ran: Jimmythetooth, Ruddy Buddy. Scratched: Apollo Ten, Lamorna, Please Advise. *Automatically downgraded when rained off the turf. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
BOOK'EM DANNO wins the Grade 3 Futurity Stakes impressively with @jose93_ortiz aboard for trainer Derek Ryan! pic.twitter.com/TnesRMJADt
— NYRA (🌳) (@TheNYRA) October 8, 2023
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