Book’em Danno threepeats as NJ-bred Horse of the Year
Riding Pretty earns champion older female honors
Press Release
March 17, 2026
Book’em Danno has been named New Jersey-bred Horse of the Year for the third consecutive year by the Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association of New Jersey. He also earned honors as Champion Older Male and Champion Sprinter following another exceptional campaign.
Owned by Atlantic Six Racing LLC and trained by Derek Ryan, the standout gelding delivered a remarkable 2025 season, winning four of five starts and earning Eclipse Award honors as Champion Male Sprinter.
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Book’em Danno launched his championship season with a decisive 2½-length victory in the $100,000 Boston Handicap at Colonial Downs, carrying 125 pounds. The state’s all-time leading New Jersey-bred money earner, now boasting $1,855,425 in career earnings, later finished fourth, beaten just a neck, in the Grade 1 $1,000,000 Churchill Downs Stakes beneath the Twin Spires — a race that proved to be his only defeat of the year.
He rebounded in dominant fashion, sweeping Saratoga Race Course’s prestigious older sprint series, the Grade 3 True North Stakes, Grade 2 Vanderbilt Stakes, and Grade 1 Forego Stakes. Those victories propelled the New Jersey-bred to national prominence, as racing fans across the country were captivated by his Saratoga performances.
Bred in New Jersey by Gregory Kilka and Bright View Farm, Book’em Danno is a son of Bucchero out of the Ghostzapper mare Adorabella.
Holly Crest Farm’s homebred Riding Pretty was named Champion Older Female for the second consecutive year following a season highlighted by two stakes victories.
The daughter of Jack Milton, out of the Girolamo mare High Renaissance, captured the $85,000 Jersey Girl Handicap at one mile on turf by 3½ lengths and the $125,000 Charles J. Hesse Handicap at 1 1/16 miles on dirt against male rivals. Trained by Eddie Owens Jr., Riding Pretty also finished second in the Smart N Classy Handicap at Monmouth Park, contested at one mile on turf. She has compiled career earnings of $526,570.
Gold Trust, owned and trained by Mike Dini, was named Champion Turf Runner after winning three of five starts in 2025.
The son of Handsome Mike out of Taty’s Gold, by Touch Gold, scored victories in two open turf sprints during the summer before earning his first stakes triumph in the $85,000 Joey P. Stakes at Monmouth Park against fellow New Jersey-breds. Bred by Ballybrit Stable, LLC, Gold Trust owns five career victories and earnings of $223,581.
Adorabella was honored as Broodmare of the Year for the fourth consecutive year. Bred by Tracy Farmer, the 10-year-old daughter of Ghostzapper out of Alydorable, by Arch, is the dam of New Jersey-bred Horse of the Year Book’em Danno.
Gregory Kilka purchased Adorabella at the Keeneland January 2020 Horses of All Ages Sale while she was in foal to Fast Anna. That foal became the 2022 New Jersey-bred Champion Two-Year-Old Filly Girl Trouble, earner of $283,890.
Sea Wizard has been named New Jersey Stallion of the Year for the third consecutive year after his progeny earned more than $1,183,104 in 2025.
From his fourth crop of runners, Sea Wizard sired stakes winners Great Navigator ($159,985) and Bingo’s Birkin ($98,820), while producing 13 individual winners during the season. Sea Wizard will stand the 2026 breeding season at Pegasus Farm in Colts Neck, New Jersey.
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