When weekend rainstorms forced NYRA officials to take the Oct. 8 card off the turf, New Jersey-bred Book’em Danno took advantage of a short field and a switch to the main track with his third straight win in the $150,000 Futurity Stakes at Belmont at the Big A.
Racing for the colors of Atlantic Six Racing, Book’em Danno tracked three wide behind the leaders through a first quarter in :22.09 and half-mile in :45.27. Jockey Jose Ortiz set the big gelding to a drive turning for home and he surged into contention, rolling past pacesetter Works for Me for a 6 1/2-length score.
Book’em Danno ($2.80), trained by Derek Ryan, stopped the timer in 1:09.47 for six furlongs.
Works for Me held off a rallying Where’s Chris by a head for second in a field reduced to five horses.
A 2-year-old son of Bucchero , Book’em Danno kept his undefeated record in tact and boosted his earnings to $200,625 with his first Futurity win. He had previously romped against Jersey-breds in his Monmouth Park debut before defeating opening company in the Sept. 9 Smoke Glacken Stakes.
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Due to being rained off the turf, the Futurity, as well as the Matron Stakes later on the card, had their grades relegated to listed stakes status. The surface change also meant an automatic berth into the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G1T) through the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series: Win and You’re In was not immediately awarded to Book’em Danno pending a Breeders’ Cup panel review on Monday.
What They Said
“(Book’em Danno is) very versatile. You can sit or do whatever you want with him. He’ll go as far as I want him to go.
“We’ll see what we’re going to do with him. We might try the Nashua, but I don’t like to over-run a young 2-year-old. Next year is a long year. I might be tempted to go a little further, who knows.” -Derek Ryan
Jody’s Pride Overpowers Rivals in Matron
Heavy favorite Jody’s Pride backed up her impressive debut win at Saratoga Race Course with another dazzling performance in the $150,000 Matron Stakes for 2-year-old fillies.
Jody’s Pride gallops home in the Matron
Racing in midpack early with jockey Flavien Prat, the American Pharoah filly flashed a powerful turn of foot around the far turn that carried her past her rivals into a clear lead. Unchallenged through the stretch, she sailed home a 3 1/4-length winner in a final time of 1:10.77 for the six furlongs.
Longshots Tricky Temper (16-1) and A Primera Vista (31-1) completed the trifecta.
Jody’s Pride ($4.50) is campaigned by her breeder, Steve Weston of Parkland Thoroughbreds in partnership with Sportsmen Stable. Jorge Abreu trains the filly.
Video: Futurity S. (BT)
Video: Matron S. (BT)
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