Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association of New Jersey
Alan Carasso, TDN
Winner of last year's GI Woody Stephens Stakes on this program and very game third in the GI H. Allen Jerkens Stakes, Book'em Danno (Bucchero) made the most of his third trip to Saratoga with a stalk and grind-it-out defeat of fellow elite-level winner Mullikin (Violence) in a high-class renewal of the GIII True North Stakes Saturday afternoon.
The 23-10 second choice–about $5,000 behind favored Nakatomi (Firing Line), Book'em Danno left gate five without incident and was content to lay third through the opening exchanges, as Concrete Glory (Bodemeister) set a good pace in advance of Mullikin. The latter made his move early beneath Flavien Prat to claw his way to the front at about the midway point of the turn, but Paco Lopez had the move covered atop the New Jersey-bred Book'em Danno, and the two began to put a gap on their rivals nearing the stretch.
Despite the demanding pace–the half was a taxing :44.72 over the rain-affected going–Mullikin had a kick and remained in front, albeit narrowly, with a furlong to race. But Book'em Danno, who typically saves his best for a finish, wore his rival down late to take it by 1 1/4 lengths. Nakatomi, last year's GI A. G. Vanderbilt Handicap winner and a near-miss runner-up in the G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen when last seen Apr. 5, bombed the start and rushed up beneath Irad Ortiz, Jr., but never factored thereafter, finishing fifth.
“He's had some bad luck in his races where he got beat a head and a neck, but I really wasn't afraid of anybody today,” said winning trainer Derek Ryan. “The six [furlongs] is a little short for him; six and a half, seven is his trip. [Jockey] Paco [Lopez] gave him a great ride. He loves to be on the outside. I've been preaching that for the last year, and I finally got someone who will do it for me. So, I was very happy. I said, 'Sit third, but make sure you're on the outside.'”
“He'll run on anything. Good horses, they said they'll run on a tin roof. He's just a good horse,” Ryan added.
The unlucky runner-up in the GIII Perryville Stakes at Keeneland last October, Book'em Danno was arguably over the top when a slightly hampered fifth in the GII Cigar Mile Handicap Dec. 7 and connections called time on a season during which he bankrolled better than $800,000. After being ruled out of trips to Saudi Arabia and Dubai in February and March, Book'em Danno resumed in a $150,000 overnight handicap on Virginia Derby weekend, but when just two horses took him on, it meant that he had to be ridden atypically on top of the speed, and he left there knowing he'd had a race, covering the seven furlongs in 1:20.03. Part of that incredibly deep field for the GI Churchill Downs Stakes May 3, Book'em Danno was awkward for a stride or two in upper stretch, led between calls in deep stretch and settled for fourth, beaten a neck for all of it behind 'TDN Rising Star'Mindframe (Constitution).
Pedigree Notes:
Book'em Danno is thus far the most decorated performer for his sire, who covered his first book of mares in New York in 2024 and now anchors the fledgling stallion operation at Ironhorse Stallions in Stillwater, about 20 miles south and east of Saratoga. Bucchero covered in excess of 185 mares this season.
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 in late 2023, the family became even more valuable, as the mare's then-yearling colt by Classic Empire topped the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic October sale on LC Racing's bid of $135,000. That same operation added Adorabella to the fold when paying $550,000 for the mare in foal to Medaglia d'Oro after she was supplemented to the Fasig-Tipton November Sale. Adorabella subsequently aborted that foal. Adorabella returned to the Darley superstar and produced a colt this past Apr. 1.
The stakes-placed second dam produced snythetic stakes winner Alydiva (Quality Road) and she is a daughter of Esprit d'Escalier, the dam of GSW & MGISP Gastronomical (Sunshine Forever). Alydorable was purchased by Thomas & Mitchell Bloodstock for $5,000 at the 2023 Keeneland November Sale and foaled a filly by Sir Winston last May before being covered by Bucchero.