Book'em Danno (Bucchero) was a tough-luck loser of Aqueduct's one-mile Nashua S. when last seen 2 1/2 months ago, but atoned for that first career defeat in no uncertain terms with a thoroughly dominating victory in Saturday's Pasco S. at Tampa.
Hovering around 2-5 and 1-2 for the bulk of the wagering, the tote showed 1-9 when the gates flew and the New Jersey-bred was content to take back off the pace of debut winner Banded Rocket (Malibu Moon) and El Principito (Accelerate), who matched motors through decent fractions of :22.53 and :45.75. Kept intentionally wide by Samuel Marin, who had ridden Book'em Danno to his state-bred maiden romp and the Smoke Glacken S. at Monmouth last summer, the gelding sauntered up to the leaders while five deep around the turn and had his head in front as GIII Iroquois S. winner West Saratoga (Exaggerator) tried to make a race of it up the fence. But Book'em Danno quickly widened in upper stretch and ran up the score while under a long hold in the final sixteenth of a mile. A pair of seemingly frivolous objections from the connections of West Saratoga and El Principito were ultimately dismissed.
Breeder Greg Kilka purchased the unraced Adorabella for $14,000 in foal to Fast Anna at the 2020 Keeneland January Sale, and that foal, Girl Trouble, did her part in improving the page with a pair of juvenile stakes scores in 2022. When factoring in Book'em Danno's emergence late last year, the family became even more valuable, as the now-juvenile colt by Classic Empire topped the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic October sale on LC Racing's bid of $135,000 and that same operation added Adorabella to the fold when paying $550,000 for the mare in foal to Fast Anna's sire Medaglia d'Oro after she was supplemented to the Fasig-Tipton November Sale.
Book'em Danno holds an entry for the $1.5-million G3 Saudi Derby in Riyadh Feb. 24, and connections have publicly expressed an interest in the 1600-meter contest. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
PASCO S., $50,000, Tampa Bay Downs, 1-13, 3yo, 7f, 1:23.26, ft.
1–BOOK'EM DANNO, 124, g, 3, Bucchero–Adorabella, by Ghostzapper. O-Atlantic Six Racing LLC; B-Gregory J Kilka & Bright View Farm (NJ); T-Derek S Ryan; J-Samuel Marin. $30,000. Lifetime Record: 5-4-1-0, $260,625. *1/2 to Girl Trouble (Fast Anna), MSW, $283,490.
2–West Saratoga, 124, c, 3, Exaggerator–Mo Wicked, by Uncle Mo. ($11,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP). O-Harry L Veruchi; B-Two Hearts Farm II LLC (KY); T-Larry W Demeritte. $10,000.
3–Rathmore, 118, c, 3, Cupid–Temperature Runnin, by Stormin Fever. O-The Three Colleens Stable; B-Heather Smullen (FL); T-Thomas Albertrani. $5,000.
Margins: 12HF, NK, 1HF. Odds: 0.10, 4.50, 13.40.
Also Ran: El Principito, Bati King, Banded Rocket. Scratched: Crazy Mason.
#3 Book'em Danno romps in $125,000 Pasco Stakes at @TampaBayDownsFL with Samuel Marin in the irons! This 3YO Bucchero gelding now has three stakes wins for trainer Derek Ryan.
pic.twitter.com/LmoWATh7jt
— TVG (@TVG) January 13, 2024
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