Monmouth houses one of the top one-turn 3-year-olds in North America, Book’em Danno, a smart winner of the Grade 1 Woody Stephens at seven furlongs in his most recent outing.
Trained by Derek Ryan, Book’em Danno wintered in Florida, traveling overseas to nearly win the one-mile Saudi Derby in February. Book’em Danno, who worked a bullet half-mile in 47 seconds Thursday at Monmouth, has northern New Jersey owners and is nominated to Friday’s Jersey Shore Stakes. But Ryan, reached by phone on Friday, remained coy regarding Book’em Danno’s next start.
The gelding’s major summer goal is the Grade 1 Allen Jerkens on Aug. 24 at Saratoga, and Ryan said Book’em Danno would start in one of three races before then: the Jersey Shore, the Amsterdam on July 26, also at Saratoga, or the Troy Stakes there Aug. 3. The Troy would mark the turf debut for Book’em Danno, whose sire is the positive turf-sprint influence Bucchero.
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