SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Book’em Danno, Mullikin, and Nakatomi, the winners of three of the four Grade 1 sprint stakes decided here a year ago and currently ranked third, fifth, and ninth, respectively, in DRF’s divisional ratings, have returned to Saratoga to square off for the second time this season in Saturday’s $400,000 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Stakes.
The six-furlong Vanderbilt, which has been downgraded to Grade 2 status, also lured the speedy Skelly, who finished second to Nakatomi in the 2024 Vanderbilt, along with Baby Yoda and Nash off well-graded allowance victories in their most recent starts. Full Moon Madness and Damon’s Mound complete the very competitive lineup.
Book’em Danno ran down Mullikin and edged away to a 1 1/4-length victory in the Grade 3 True North decided at 6 1/2 furlongs over a sloppy track here on June 7. Nakatomi, the tepid 2-1 favorite, finished fifth after losing his best chance when breaking poorly and dropping well off the pace in a race contested over a wet and speed-favoring strip.
The win was the eighth in 14 starts for Book’em Danno and third since he won his local debut going seven furlongs in the Grade 1 Woody Stephens a year ago. Book’em Danno, who has captured all three of his previous starts at six furlongs, was reunited in the True North with jockey Paco Lopez, who will be back in his regular seat on Saturday.
“He’s pretty versatile, he’ll run on anything, and can be effective anywhere from six furlongs to a mile, although six furlongs is probably as short as he wants to go,” said trainer Derek Ryan. “But if the pace is fast, we should be all right.”
Mullikin dueled for the lead through swift fractions in the True North with Concrete Glory – who came back to win an allowance race here last week – before proving no match for Book’em Danno at the end. Mullikin was returning to the scene of his finest hour, a gate-to-wire, 5 3/4-length triumph to earn his first Grade 1 here a year earlier in the seven-furlong Forego, for which he received a career-best 105 Beyer Speed Figure.
“I thought that was a great effort in the True North, he ran a winning race even though he did get beat,” trainer Rodolphe Brisset said while schooling Mullikin in the paddock on Thursday. “The number came back fast enough and I’m not sure he loved the slop. I’m really anxious to see him back on a fast track again.”
Mullikin will be competing at six furlongs for just the fifth time in 14 lifetime starts, and for the first time since rallying to finish third in the 2024 Breeders’ Cup Sprint.
“I don’t think six furlongs is an issue for him at all. He just hasn’t done it enough for him to truly learn to run that distance,” said Brisset. “I had considered waiting for the Forego, although the Breeders’ Cup is still our main goal, so this seems the right way to get him there.”
Nakatomi will be looking for his first win since wearing down the pacesetting Skelly to register a 1 1/2-length decision in the 2024 Vanderbilt. The 105 Beyer Speed Figure he earned equaled his career best that he received for his third-place finish in the 2023 Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Santa Anita.
Nakatomi’s unlucky trip in the True North came in his first start since being beaten a neck by Dark Saffron in the Group 1 Dubai Golden Shaheen eight weeks earlier at Meydan. Trainer Wesley Ward said he was a little apprehensive about running Nakatomi in the Vanderbilt knowing the competitive nature of the field, but was glad he did after drawing the extreme outside post in the eight-horse lineup.
Nash is coming off far and away the highest recent Beyer Speed Figure of any member of the field, having been awarded a 108 for his game allowance win last month at Churchill Downs. Multiple graded stakes-placed at 3, Nash will return to graded company for the first time since finishing a distant ninth behind Book’em Danno following a rough start here a year ago in the Woody Stephens.
“He’s always had talent, he showed that at 2.” said trainer Brad Cox. “When cutting back, the numbers were really good, and he’s had time since to recover.
“He’s going to have to take a step forward again against a solid group of horses. He’s probably got to get a good, clean trip and a setup, and if he does he’ll be right there.”
Baby Yoda was not a factor in either the Vanderbilt or Forego here last summer following his decisive, six-length triumph in the True North, for which he received a 102 Beyer. A winner of four of eight starts locally, Baby Yoda snapped a four-race losing streak when dropping into the allowance ranks and matching the 102 Beyer Figure with a one-sided, 4 1/4-length victory five weeks earlier at Aqueduct.
– additional reporting by David Grening
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