What had the look of a paid workout at 1-5 odds for the New Jersey-bred grade 1 winner Book’em Danno turned out to be a top-level test of the 3-year-old’s speed and determination.
Needing every bit of the six furlongs, Atlantic Six Racing’s Book’em Danno wore down a game Little Ni in the final strides to prevail by a nose and take the $110,000 Jersey Shore Stakes for 3-year-olds July 19 at the gelding and his connections’ home track of Monmouth Park.
“At the half-mile pole I knew we were in a little bit of a jackpot,” trainer Derek Ryan said. “He was tested. It should toughen him up.”
The Jersey Shore marked Book’em Danno’s first start since he earned his grade 1 laurels by winning the June 8 Woody Stephens Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course. With the Aug. 24 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial Stakes (G1) the main summer target for the son of Bucchero .
Ryan had his choice of the Jersey Shore or the July 26 Amsterdam Stakes (G2) at the Spa as a prep for his gelding.
With Ryan and the horse based at Monmouth, the ownership group consisting of New Jersey natives, and an extra week of rest for the Jerkens, deciding on the Jersey Shore did not take much arm twisting.
“I’ve spent my whole life in New Jersey and my (late) father and I were involved in horse racing for the longest time,” said Atlantic Six partner Jeff Resnikoff, an attorney who lives in nearby West Long Branch, N.J. “We have a great group and it’s wonderful to be at Monmouth Park. It was very convenient.”
For all the convenience, the Jersey Shore nearly turned into a nightmare for the first New Jersey-bred to win a grade 1 stakes since 2017. Someone apparently forgot to tell Little Ni about the race being a walkover.
Jersey Pride Racing, Billy Belford, and Boardwalk Racing’s Little Ni came into Friday’s race undefeated after three starts and trainer Eddie Owens Jr.’s gelding ran like a 3-year-old with a future in graded stakes.
Book’em Danno ($2.40) and jockey Samuel Marin were last in the field of four while Proprietary Trade set the early pace of :22.14 with Little Ni in close pursuit. Approaching the quarter pole, Jairo Rendon and Little Ni forged to the front and braced for the challenge from Book’em Danno.
While Book’em Danno slowly gained some ground, Little Ni still led by a length at the eighth pole and it wasn’t until the final jump that the heavy favorite stuck his nose in front of the Mohaymen gelding.
“Now I’m glad I have the five weeks to the Jerkens,” Ryan said.
Bred by Gregory Kilka and Bright View Farm out of the Ghostzapper mare Adorabella, Book’em Danno won for the sixth time in eight starts and covered the six furlongs in 1:09.28.
“We saw the character of the horse as he fought through adversity,” Resnikoff said. “A lot of credit goes to Derek for having him in such great shape.”
For Owens, Little Ni’s first loss was hard to swallow.
“He ran great. He got beat. I don’t know if it was by a better horse,” Owens said. “We did all of the work. He ran a winning race except for the last jump. We’ll talk to the owners and figure out if we will take him up to Saratoga or if we’ll look for something different. We’ll find something that suits him. As well as he ran, it’s disappointing to lose by a nose after a great effort.”
Buccherino was 5 3/4 lengths back in third.
