Midlantic-breds in Saratoga Stakes August 23
While Saturday’s featured event is the 156th running of the Grade I Travers, a fully stocked card which carries five other graded stakes provides plenty of top tier racing at the Spa. Preceding the Travers in race 12 is the Grade I Forego Stakes, a seven furlong dirt sprint for four year olds and up. If Saratoga has already become the home track for Travers favorite Sovereignty, it may also soon be considered the home for New Jersey bred Book’em Danno. With three wins in four tries over the Saratoga dirt course including two this summer, this four year old gelding by Bucchero – Adorabella, by Ghostzapper has certainly made his affinity for this track clear with some of his best career efforts in Upstate New York.
Most recently an impressive winner of the Grade II Alfred G. Vanderbilt last month, Book’em Danno makes another start at the Spa as the one to beat; likely the post time favorite with the shortest morning line odds of 8/5 here. In this go around, he faces a tough group of ten others who appear to be very evenly matched. Highlighting these challengers is the five year old Mullikin who Book’em Danno looks to put away in the stretch for the third straight time. In both the True North and Vanderbilt over this track, Mullikin finished second to his new foe despite being in prime position in each try. Book’em Danno may simply be in sharper form than last year’s Forego winner Mullikin this summer, as he emerges as one of the best sprinters in this division.
Still, this Derek Ryan trained gelding faces his toughest test yet in this spot, and could be in line for even bigger goals this fall if his winning ways continue. Returning rider Paco Lopez makes the trip here with three wins in his last four mounts on Book’em Danno, as he should settle him in behind the top group of leaders in mid pack. With a pair of aggressive Brad Cox trainees who break from the inside, the first half mile could heat up and may force this gelding to be positioned further from the lead than he has been this year. An off the pace win in the Grade I Woody Stephen last year over this track proves that Book’s Danno can contend with different pace scenarios and appears primed to continue his trips to the winner’s circle. A third straight victory would not only continue this incredibly strong meet for Midlantic breds, but also stamp Book’em Danno as one of the most successful Saratoga sprinters in recent memory. Bred by Gregory J Kilka, this Atlantic Six Racing LLC owned gelding has amassed $1,580,425 in career earnings and breaks here from post four.
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