SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Two horses whose stock continues to rise in the national sprint division, Book’em Danno and Patch Adams, enhanced their status even further after becoming Grade 1 winners for the second time with victories in the Forego and H. Allen Jerkens stakes, respectively, on Saturday’s Travers undercard at Saratoga.
Book’em Danno likely jumped to the top of the leaderboard after registering a popular one-length victory over the late-running Scotland in the Forego. Patch Adams will undoubtedly crack the top 10 list for the first time after running down Captain Cook in the final strides to register a career-best 103 Beyer Speed Figure in the Allen Jerkens. Both races were decided at seven furlongs.
Book’em Danno added the Forego to previous victories here this season in the Grade 2 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap and Grade 3 True North Stakes. He entered the Forego rated third behind Kopion and Nysos in Daily Racing Form’s divisional rankings but is almost certain to vault over that pair when the new listings are released later this week in light of his latest performance.
On Sunday, trainer Derek Ryan reported all was well with his star while singing the praises of jockey, Paco Lopez, whom he credits in large part with Book’em Danno’s success in 2025.
“In my opinion, Paco just doesn’t get the credit he deserves. He’s the hardest working jockey in America and I’ve been a big fan for a long time,” said Ryan. “I don’t want to slight any other rider, but he’s made a hell of a difference with this horse. He just seems to get along with him so well. The way he takes his time with him when working him in the mornings, warms him up before a race and always seems to be able to work out the exact trip, put him in the exact position I want him to. "
Lopez has won with four of his seven mounts at the current meet, each of those victories coming in stakes: two with Book’em Danno and two aboard Future Is Now for trainer Michael Trombetta. He currently leads the nation in victories with 261 through Saturday, 40 more than his nearest rival, Jose Ortiz.
Ryan said he is going to let the dust settle for a few days and get Book’em Danno back to his Monmouth Park base later this week, before deciding just where or when his star will run next.
“He’s going to have just one more start this year. He’s had a hard campaign, he’s only 4, and we want to have him around for a while,” said Ryan. “At the moment the options are the race at Aqueduct [Vosburgh on Sept. 27], the Phoenix at Keeneland, or the Breeders’ Cup Sprint.”
Although the Forego was a Win and You’re In race for the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile, Ryan said the six-furlong Sprint would be his choice if he decides to send Book’em Danno to Del Mar. The Dirt Mile will be decided around two turns again this year, and both races are Nov. 1.
"He’s never been around two turns in his career,” said Ryan. “If we decide not to go to the Breeders’ Cup, I’d likely point him for the big sprint races next season in Saudi Arabia and Dubai.”
Like Book’em Danno, Patch Adams has also won his last three starts, a streak that also includes a 2 1/4-length victory in the Grade 1 Woody Stephens here on the Belmont Stakes undercard in June. Each of those wins came after trainer Brad Cox shortened Patch Adams to one turn following disappointing efforts in a couple of Kentucky Derby preps – the Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn and Tampa Bay Derby – to launch his 3-year-old campaign.
But unlike Ryan, Cox prefers the Dirt Mile to the Sprint for Patch Adams, even if it means stretching him out around two turns again on Breeders’ Cup day.
“I know its two turns, but I think he’s just a better horse now than he was when trying those races earlier in the year,” said Cox. “At the end of the day, it’s about horses just developing and figuring things out. His last three runs here, he broke well, put himself in the race, and finished up.”
Cox said he will talk over future plans for Patch Adams with his owners, WinStar Farm, and that he would “probably” train him up to the race if the decision is made to run in the Dirt Mile.
Despite his near miss in the Allen Jerkens, trainer Todd Pletcher said he will likely head in a different direction for the time being with Captain Cook, who joined his barn earlier this summer and raced without blinkers for the first time in his career on Saturday.
“He just gave us the impression he didn’t necessarily need blinkers,” Pletcher explained. “The horse trained very forwardly and professionally and we just felt an equipment change might help him. I was surprised he still showed as much speed even without them. Everything went smoothly except we were on the wrong side of a head bob.”
Pletcher said he really didn’t have a spot in mind just yet for Captain Cook’s next start, although he indicated the horse would be made eligible for the $125,000 Discovery at Aqueduct, a one-turn mile, on Oct. 4 at Aqueduct. Captain Cook won the Withers going 1 1/8 miles at Aqueduct in February.
– additional reporting by David Grening
:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.