G1-winners Fierceness, Leslie’s Rose breeze for Belmont Stakes Racing Festival engagements; Grande, Crudo ‘not ruled out’ of G1 Belmont Stakes

• G1-winners Fierceness, Leslie’s Rose breeze for Belmont Stakes Racing Festival engagements; Grande, Crudo ‘not ruled out’ of G1 Belmont Stakes
• G1 Belmont Stakes contender Heart of Honor arrives in Saratoga
• White Abarrio breezes at Saratoga for G1 Met Mile
• Bless the Broken returns to work tab targeting G1 DK Horse Acorn
• Trainer Tom Amoss mulls G1 DK Horse Acorn for Quickick
• G1-winner Book’em Danno under consideration for G3 True North

Derrick Smith, Repole Stable, Michael Tabor and Mrs. John Magnier’s multiple Grade 1-winner Fierceness worked Thursday over Saratoga Race Course’s Oklahoma dirt training track in preparation for the Grade 1, $1 million Hill ‘n’ Dale Metropolitan Handicap on June 7 during the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga Race Course.

Trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, the 4-year-old City of Light colt breezed in company with graded stakes-placed Tuscan Sky through a half-mile in 49.85 seconds, according to NYRA clockers. It marked the pair’s second work together in as many weeks after they covered the same distance in 49 flat last week over the Oklahoma.

“He looked great,” Pletcher said of Fierceness. “Another typical breeze from him, doing it very easily and impressively. I’m very pleased with him.”

Fierceness, winner of last year’s Grade 1 DraftKings Travers at the Spa, made a successful seasonal bow last out on May 2 at Churchill Downs, returning with gusto to land a dominant 1 1/2-length score in the 1 1/16-mile Grade 2 Alysheba in a new track record final time of 1:40.66.

Pletcher said he is pleased with the way Fierceness emerged from the strong performance.

“He’s had a really good energy level, his appetite’s been great – he’s really matured as a 4-year-old and put on some weight,” Pletcher said.

When Fierceness contests the prestigious Met Mile, he will do so from Saratoga’s Wilson Chute for the first time, and will race at the distance for the first time since a distant off-the-board finish in the Grade 1 Champagne as a juvenile. The Wilson Chute offers a unique configuration between one and 1 1/2 turns, and Pletcher said Fierceness possesses the mental and physical talent to rise to the occasion.

“I think the draw can be hugely important and how you get away from there,” Pletcher said. “He’s a really laid back horse to train, but he turns it on when you ask him to.”

Pletcher noted Tuscan Sky, also owned by Repole Stable, is likely headed to the Grade 3, $150,000 Salvator Mile on June 14 at Monmouth Park after a last-out fifth on turf in the Grade 2 Fort Marcy on May 2 at Belmont at the Big A.

Along with Fierceness, Pletcher is also considering Grade 1-winner Mindframe for the Met Mile, but also has the son of Constitution under consideration for the Grade 1 Stephen Foster on June 28 at Churchill. Owned by Repole Stable with St. Elias Stable, Mindframe was last seen winning the seven-furlong Grade 1 Churchill Downs on May 3 in a determined neck victory over Banishing and Nysos with a deep-closing rally.

“We haven’t ruled anything out,” Pletcher said of Mindframe’s next start. “We’ll give him a breeze tomorrow and see how that goes, assuming the weather cooperates. Obviously, we hate to run him and Fierceness against each other if we can keep from it, but we’ll keep our options open for now.”

The Churchill Downs victory came in Mindframe’s second start this year after beginning the season with a win in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Mile in March. Last year, Mindframe finished a close second to Dornoch in both the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes here and the Grade 1 Haskell at Monmouth before a nearly eight-month respite.

Pletcher said it was rewarding to see Mindframe notch a Grade 1 victory.

“That was big,” Pletcher said. “We wanted that Grade 1 win for him, and for him to do what he’s done to win at seven-eighths, a mile, a mile and a sixteenth, be second at a mile and a quarter... he, too, is a very special horse and is very versatile. He’s a pleasure to train.”

Also on the Thursday work tab were two top competitors for Whisper Hill Farm in Grade 1-winner Leslie’s Rose and dual graded stakes-winner Grand Sonata.

Leslie’s Rose, a last-out third in the 6 1/2-furlong Grade 3 Vagrancy on May 4 at Belmont at the Big A, worked a half-mile solo in 49.25 as she targets a return to two turns in the nine-furlong Grade 1 Ogden Phipps presented by Ford on June 6.

“I thought she went well, galloped out good, so I think we’re on schedule for the Ogden Phipps,” Pletcher said.

Grand Sonata, a last-out sixth in the Grade 2 Elkhorn in April at Keeneland, breezed a half-mile in 50.42 in company with Grade 2-placed Noble Confessor. Grand Sonata, who won the Grade 2 Kentucky Turf Cup in September at Kentucky Downs, is being pointed to the Grade 2, $250,000 Belmont Gold Cup going two miles on June 6 with an eye towards a return to Kentucky Downs later this summer.

“It was a typical work for him on the dirt – he’s a better turf horse,” Pletcher said, “Right now, we are giving strong consideration to the two-mile race. He’s always stayed on pretty well and it might be an interesting thing to try with him.”

The Belmont Gold Cup offers a ‘Golden Ticket’ for an automatic berth into the Group 1, AUD$8.4 million Lexus Melbourne Cup on November 4 at Flemington Racecourse in Victoria, Australia.

Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Walmac Farm’s multiple Grade 1-winner Locked, who finished fourth in the Alysheba 6 3/4 lengths behind Fierceness, is targeting the 10-furlong Grade 2, $400,000 Suburban on July 4 at the Spa.

“He’ll probably breeze next week,” Pletcher said. “It’s not until July 4, so we have a little time there.”

Locked, a dominant 8 1/2-length winner of the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap on March 1, trailed in last-of-6 in the Alysheba and attempted to make a five-wide bid into the stretch, but could only pass two rivals and settled for fourth as his stablemate lowered the track record.

“I think it was just impossible for him to make up ground in that scenario,” Pletcher said of the Grade 2 Cigar Mile Handicap presented by TwinSpires.com-winner. “He was off the pace and you just don’t see races run like that very often where they go a half in 48 [seconds] and then break a track record.”

Locked was an impressive juvenile, graduating by 7 1/4 lengths at second asking before a rallying half-length win in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland and a game third behind Fierceness in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita. He missed most of his sophomore year, but returned with aplomb to romp in an optional claiming sprint at Belmont at the Big A and notch a 1 1/2-length win in the Cigar Mile to close out the short-but-sweet campaign.

“I think he got lost in the shuffle a little bit as a 3-year-old because he didn’t get started until so late, but he was a Grade 1-winner at two, third in the Breeders’ Cup, and it’s not like he just got good,” Pletcher commented. “He was really good at two, missed some time, and then came back impressively to win the allowance race and the Cigar Mile. Unfortunately, he didn’t get away well in the Pegasus and still ran on to be second. The Santa Anita Handicap was an amazing win, and it was just a bad scenario last time. He’s a huge talent, and is versatile as well. He’s a really good horse.”

Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners could also be represented in the Ogden Phipps by Grade 1-winner Candied, a last-out winner of the Listed Allaire DuPont Distaff on May 16 at Pimlico Race Course. Co-owned with Bobby Flay, Candied returned to the winner’s circle for the first time since June with a three-length score engineered by Irad Ortiz, Jr. She has been on-the-board in 10-of-11 starts, including a win in the Grade 1 Alcibiades at Keeneland as a juvenile.

“I haven’t spoken with Aron [Wellman, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners] since the DuPont, but we went in with the idea that we would see how she did and how she bounces out of it,” Pletcher said. “So far, she’s come back really well, so I think [the Phipps] is under consideration.”

Pletcher, a four-time winner of the Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets, could be represented yet again in the final jewel of the Triple Crown as two of his pupils are possible for a start in the 10-furlong test.

Repole Stable’s Grande, who was scratched from the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby due to a foot issue, recently arrived at Saratoga, as did Crudo, winner of the restricted Sir Barton on May 17 at Pimlico for owners Bobby Flay and James Ventura.

“Grande is good and galloped well this morning. We don’t have a schedule picked out just yet for him – we’re not ruling anything out,” Pletcher said. “I spoke to Bobby Flay a little bit and it’s the same thing [for Crudo] – nothing is ruled out.”

Pletcher would look to add to past Belmont Stakes wins with Rags to Riches [2007], Palace Malice [2013], Tapwrit [2017] and Mo Donegal [2022].

The current list of probables for the Belmont Stakes includes: Baeza [John Shirreffs], Heart of Honor [Jamie Osborne], Hill Road [Chad Brown], Journalism [Michael McCarthy], Rodriguez [Bob Baffert], and Sovereignty [Bill Mott].

Journalism, who arrived in New York on Monday evening and is stabled in the Pletcher barn, visited the main track this morning to jog in his first on-track activity at Saratoga.

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G1 Belmont Stakes contender Heart of Honor arrives in Saratoga

Jim And Claire Limited’s Heart of Honor, fifth in Saturday’s Grade 1 Preakness at Pimlico Race Course, arrived at Saratoga Race Course on Wednesday and walked the shedrow Thursday as he begins preparations for the Grade 1, $2 million Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets.

The five-day Belmont Stakes Racing Festival will be conducted at Saratoga Race Course from Wednesday, June 4 through Sunday, June 8. The festival will include 27 stakes races with purses totaling $11,275,000, the richest purses and highest number of stakes offered since the launch of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival in 2014.

Trained by Jamie Osborne, Heart of Honor, who was piloted in the Preakness by Osborne’s daughter Saffie Osborne, was fractious in the gate and off a step slow. The Honor A.P. colt was last-of-9 and 15 lengths off the pace through three-quarters in 1:10.23 and made a wide rally down the lane to finish fifth, defeated 8 3/4-lengths by the victorious Journalism.

He graduated at second asking at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai where he landed first or second in five outings, including a win in the one-mile Dubai Maritime City on January 10 and a close second in the one-mile Group 3 UAE 2000 Guineas on January 24.

Heart of Honor entered the Preakness from a heartbreaking nose second in the Group 2 UAE Derby in April to Admire Daytona, who was subsequently off-the-board in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby.

Jamie Osborne said Heart of Honor will work on his gate issues in the weeks leading up to the Belmont.

“He gave himself a massive disadvantage on the day in the gate,” Osborne said of the Preakness effort. “We've got a couple of weeks to work on that and try and improve that again. He improved while we were in Dubai and got a lot of practice into the UAE Derby. We did a fair amount of practice into the Preakness and it didn't work. So, we need to do a bit more practice and get him to relax in the gate and if he goes in there and relaxes, he should jump out all right.”

Osborne said the $172,341 purchase at the 2024 Arqana 2-Year-Old Breeze Up Sale exited the Preakness in good order.

“He's eating well and done well since the race. He's pretty bright,” Osborne said. “It's a nicer preparation for him [heading into the Belmont] than he had going into the Preakness. Most of the weeks before the Preakness he either spent it on an airplane or a lorry.”

Osborne said the team will monitor Heart of Honor’s progress in Saratoga before deciding whether or not to breeze him.

“We wouldn't be massive fans of breezing him too tight to a race, but we'll see how he is,” Osborne said.

Heart of Honor is out of the winning Scat Daddy mare Ruby Love. His third dam is the dual graded-stakes placed Wild Rush mare Vous. Heart of Honor has banked $400,919 via a 7-2-4-0 record.

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White Abarrio breezes at Saratoga for G1 Met Mile

C2 Racing Stable, Gary Barber and La Milagrosa Stable’s multiple Grade 1-winner White Abarrio tuned up for the June 7 Grade 1 Hill ‘n’ Dale Metropolitan Handicap with a sharp five-furlong breeze under jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. on Thursday over the Saratoga Race Course main track.

Trained by Saffie Joseph, Jr., the 6-year-old Race Day gray began the work behind the pair of Sol Hope and Bustin Bullet, and passed his stablemates heading into the lane as NYRA clockers caught him through splits of 23 seconds flat, 46 and 2/5 and five furlongs in 58.47 before galloping out in 1:10 and 3/5 and 1:24 and 4/5.

Joseph, Jr. said the work reminded him of the penultimate one White Abarrio turned in before winning the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup in January at Gulfstream Park.

“It went super. I’m glad I got it in today because I don’t know how the weather is supposed to be the next couple of days,” Joseph, Jr. said. “I thought it was as good as his major work before the Pegasus. The main thing is how he did it. We wanted a strong work, and obviously we wanted him to do it how he did – without being urged too much.”

White Abarrio will contest the Met Mile for a third time after finishing third in 2023 and fifth last year, both efforts made for trainer Rick Dutrow, Jr.

Joseph, Jr. said the talented horse is in top form as he vies for the lucrative victory.

“For Rick, he won the Whitney and Breeders’ Cup. I feel that for us, his best race was the Pegasus, and I think so far he’s in as good of order as [he was for] the Pegasus,” Joseph, Jr. said.

Joseph, Jr.’s Thursday workers included two other contenders for events at the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival as Neoequos and Indy Bay breezed over the main track.

C2 Racing Stable, Ian Parsard, Shining Stables, Stefania Farms, Ken Reimer, Paul Braverman and Timothy Pinch’s Grade 1-placed Neoequos worked for the first time since a pace-pressing 13th in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby on May 3. The son of Neolithic, who was third in the Grade 1 Florida Derby in March, covered a half-mile in 48.62 in company with Holiday Pay.

“It was his first work back, just an easy work in company,” Joseph, Jr. said. “In the Derby, the question was always the distance. We didn’t think he wanted to do it, but he was running good enough in his figures that it made me try it. We tried it, and now we get back to reality.”

Joseph, Jr. said Neoequos is pointing to a cutback to one turn in the seven-furlong Grade 1, $500,000 Woody Stephens presented by Mohegan Sun on June 7.

C2 Racing Stable, Paul Braverman and Timothy Pinch’s Indy Bay, a perfect 2-for-2 since moving to the Joseph, Jr. barn this winter, covered five furlongs in 1:00.84 to the outside of Absolute Honor. Indy Bay is targeting the six-furlong $150,000 Jersey Girl for sophomore fillies on June 8.

Joseph, Jr. said he was impressed to see the daughter of Take Charge Indy improve from a 68 Beyer Speed Figure in her March 1 maiden win to a 90 in an April 25 optional claiming tilt.

“She’s doing well,” Joseph, Jr. said. “The race she won at Gulfstream, the form really worked out good. The number came up, I think because the fractions [in her maiden win] were so fast and they kind of walked home. Last time, her numbers jumped up big.”

Joseph, Jr. noted that he is leaning towards the $100,000 Rehoboth on May 31 at Delaware Park for Grade 3 Vagrancy runner-up R Disaster. Joseph, Jr. had initially circled the Grade 2, $300,000 Bed o’ Roses on June 6 at the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, but said he is now more inclined to ship the daughter of Awesome Slew to the Wilmington oval.

*

Thursday’s work tab at Saratoga included last-out Listed Lafayette-winner Colloquial, who is also targeting the Woody Stephens for trainer George Weaver. The son of Vekoma covered five furlongs in 1:03.25 over the Oklahoma.

Recent Grade 2 Man o’ War-winner Far Bridge worked a solo five furlongs over the Oklahoma for trainer Christophe Clement. The three-time Grade 1-winner covered the distance in 1:03.80 as he readies for the Grade 1, $1 million Resorts World Casino Manhattan on June 7.

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Bless the Broken returns to work tab targeting G1 DK Horse Acorn

Creek Equine and Madaket Stables’ Bless the Broken returned to the work tab Thursday at Churchill Downs as she readies for the Grade 1, $500,000 DK Horse Acorn, a nine-furlong test for sophomore fillies, on June 6 during the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga Race Course.

Trained by Will Walden, the Laoban dark bay breezed a half-mile in 48.80 seconds in company as her first move since a closing third to Good Cheer in the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks on May 2 at Churchill Downs.

“I thought it went excellent, an 'A-plus' work,” said Walden. “She just went a maintenance half-mile, out in five-eighths. It was what we were looking for. She’ll come back next week, same time, same place, and then we ship up to Saratoga for the Acorn.”

Bless the Broken went into the Kentucky Oaks off a win in Listed Bourbonette Oaks going 1 1/16 miles over the Turfway Park synthetic in March. Her form translated back to dirt well, as she closed willingly from 10th-of-13 to land 3 1/2 lengths back of the undefeated Good Cheer.

“I thought the Oaks was great. I thought she ran her race even though she was kind of wide into the first turn,” said Walden. “I didn’t think it all went her way, but she showed she was resilient and a classy filly who will handle nine furlongs.”

Godolphin’s Kentucky homebred Good Cheer also worked Thursday at Churchill Downs for trainer Brad Cox, breezing five furlongs in 1:00.40. It was the Medaglia d’Oro bay’s second breeze back since improving to 7-for-7 in the Kentucky Oaks.

Woodford Thoroughbreds’ Grade 3-winner Pipsy is targeting the Grade 2, $200,000 Intercontinental, a 5 1/2-furlong turf sprint for older fillies and mares on June 5 at the Spa. It will be the 4-year-old Kodiac bay’s second start of the year following a successful seasonal debut in a Keeneland allowance on April 19.

Pipsy breezed a half-mile in 51.20 over the Churchill dirt Thursday. Her previous two works have been over the turf there.

“She’s been doing all her work mostly on the turf course at Churchill. We got rained out this week, she was on dirt this morning but is doing very well,” Walden said. “We are really excited to take her up there [Saratoga]. I thought her race at Keeneland was superb and we are excited to get her back out there.”

The Irish-bred Pipsy won the Grade 3 Soaring Softly in her first start for Walden last May after missing the break at Belmont at the Big A. She didn’t return to the winner’s circle in her trio of subsequent efforts but finished second in the Grade 2 Music City in September at Kentucky Downs.

“I probably didn’t utilize that win as well as I should have. I gave her seven weeks and then tried to stretch her out. I probably had her a little over-the-top sharpness-wise,” Walden explained. “She’s come back, big, strong, fast, and I’m looking for a big season with her.”

Walden provided an update on Rhetorical, a 4-year-old Not This Time gelding who captured a New York-bred allowance by five lengths going 1 1/16 miles on turf on Sunday at Belmont at the Big A. He improved to 2-for-3, defeating state-bred elders by the same margin in his July debut at Saratoga.

“He’s so lightly raced, I’d say the natural progression would be in a New York-bred two-other-than and then a New York-bred stakes or open company,” Walden said, adding that Belmont Stakes Racing Festival-action is unlikely at this stage. “We got him back at Keeneland and I don’t want to ship to New York twice in three weeks.”

WinStar Farm’s Rhetorical earned a career-best 90 Beyer Speed Figure for his recent victory. Walden believes he has the ability to potentially climb the ranks, mentioning an ambitious long-term goal is the Grade 1 FanDuel Fourstardave on August 2 at the Spa.

“He’ll go up to New York for the summer. I could see a possibility of something like the Fourstardave later in the meet at one-mile in open company as a possibility,” said Walden. “But I’d say we will probably go for a New York-bred ‘2-X’ before anything else and then keep our options open.”

Bred in the Empire State by Mallory Mort and Karen Mort, Rhetorical, out of the Distorted Humor mare Sheet Humor, is a half-brother to millionaire Sterling Silver.

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Trainer Tom Amoss mulls G1 DK Horse Acorn for Quickick

Greenwell Thoroughbreds’ Quickick worked Wednesday at Churchill Downs and will be nominated to the Grade 1, $500,000 DK Horse Acorn, a nine-furlong test for sophomore fillies, on June 6 during the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga Race Course.

Trained by Tom Amoss, the McKinzie bay breezed a half-mile in 48.40 seconds as her second work since a seventh in the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks on May 2 at Churchill Downs.

“I don’t have a plan right now. She will be nominated up there [Saratoga], but she will probably be a last minute decision, meaning the week before is when we decide what we are doing with her,” said Amoss.

Quickick was dual Grade 1-placed as a juvenile, finishing second in the Alcibiades and third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies. She boasts a record of 7-1-1-2 with $411,000 in earnings. In the Kentucky Oaks, she traveled in last-of-13 midway through the race and improved to seventh under jockey Umberto Rispoli, defeated 12 1/4 lengths by Good Cheer. 

“On the surface, it was disappointing,” Amoss said. “I will say this, last year at Saratoga she showed us that she wants to be outside. She wants to get away from traffic. When Rispoli did that in the Kentucky Oaks, she started running, so that will be the game plan no matter where we run– try to get her outside down the lane and make a run.”

Quickick, bred by Gainesway Thoroughbreds and Whisper Hill Farm, is out of the Amoss-trained graded stakes-winning Graeme Hall mare Graeme Six. She was a $550,000 purchase at the 2023 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, and is a half-sister to graded-winners Cali Star and Delightful Joy.

Gold Standard Racing Stable’s Grade 2-winner Hoosier Philly also worked and will be nominated to the Grade 1, $500,000 Ogden Phipps presented by Ford, a nine-furlong route for older fillies and mares, on the Friday of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival.

The 5-year-old Into Mischief mare fired a bullet half-mile in 47.80 on Wednesday at Churchill Downs. In three starts this year, she was second last out in the Dig A Diamond on April 26 at Oaklawn Park, fourth in the Grade 1 Beholder Mile in March at Santa Anita Park, and third in the Grade 3 Houston Ladies Classic in January at Sam Houston Race Park.

“She’s always been a very good workhorse, none of that has changed,” said Amoss. “She is nominated to it [Ogden Phipps], but that is as far as we’ve gotten.”

Hoosier Philly won the Grade 2 Golden Rod as a juvenile at Churchill Downs, inside her lifetime total of five stakes wins among a 19-6-2-2 record with $1,012,465 in earnings.

Amoss said he is more likely to send contenders for the $150,000 Jersey Girl, a six-furlong test for sophomore fillies on June 8 Closing Day of the Festival.

“The only race I think we will for sure be in is the Jersey Girl,” said Amoss. “I’ve got a few young, 3-year-old fillies who are very good sprinters. You’ll Be Back was just second in the Miss Preakness, Modo is a sprint filly who is entered Saturday at Churchill, and Kimchi Cat is a double stakes-winner who won a stakes at Saratoga.

“That is what those horses want to do– go one-turn and sprint,” Amoss added.

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G1-winner Book’em Danno under consideration for G3 True North

Atlantic Six Racing’s Grade 1-winner Book’em Danno is under consideration for a start in the Grade 3, $400,000 True North, a 6 1/2-furlong sprint for older horses on Belmont Stakes Day June 7 at Saratoga Race Course.

Trained by Derek Ryan, the 4-year-old Bucchero gelding worked a half-mile in 48 seconds flat on Sunday at Monmouth Park. He is also nominated to the Grade 2, $275,000 Aristides on May 31 at Churchill Downs.

“We'll get another work into him and play it by ear. There's not a lot of options out there - there's the race at Churchill and the race at Saratoga, so we'll figure it out. The Met Mile isn’t in the equation,” Ryan said.

Book’em Danno came up a head shy of Forever Young in the Group 1, $1.5 million Saudi Derby last February in the second start of his sophomore campaign. He returned to action at the Spa in June and captured the Grade 1 Woody Stephens presented by Mohegan Sun and two starts later was a charging third in the Grade 1 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial.

Book’em Danno closed out his 3-year-old campaign with a troubled fifth in the Grade 2 Cigar Mile Handicap presented by TwinSpires.com where he bobbled at the start when exiting post 1-of-10. This year, he passed on a start in the Group 1 Godolphin Mile at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai and returned victorious with a 2 1/2-length score in the Boston Handicap on March 14 at Colonial Downs.

Last out, he exited post 3-of-11 in the Grade 1, $1 million Churchill Downs on the Kentucky Derby undercard and raced in fifth position not far off sharp splits of 22.56 seconds and 45.12 set by Giant Mischief under pressure from Hoist the Gold. Book’em Danno advanced to second at the stretch call and had a narrow advantage at the furlong grounds, but could not fend off the deep closing Mindframe, who was a neck better than both the rallying runner-ups Banishing, who dead-heated for place with Nysos, who were both a head better than Book’em Danno in fourth.

“He was stuck in a bad post again, but it is what it is. He ran his race,” Ryan said. “He's come back strong. With just a little bit of luck, we were a neck away from an extra million bucks between Saudi and the last one. It's tough when you're that close to those big ones.”

The well-traveled Book’em Danno has raced at eight different tracks through a 13-7-3-1 record for purse earnings in excess of $1.1 million. He took home back-to-back honors as New Jersey-bred Horse of the Year in 2023-24.

“He’s run well everywhere, and he’s run with the best of ‘em,” Ryan said.

Bred in New Jersey by Gregory Kilka and Bright View Farm, Book’em Danno, out of the unraced Ghostzapper mare Adorabella, is a half-brother to dual stakes-winner Girl Trouble. 

Ryan noted that Massimino Rapuano’s New York-bred Cicciobello, last out winner of the NYSSS Thunder Rumble on November 23 at Aqueduct Racetrack, is back in training.

“He'll breeze at the weekend and hopefully be ready for Saratoga,” Ryan said. “We'll aim for Saratoga and the fall again. He's about three weeks away.”

Bred in the Empire State by My Way Stable, the 6-year-old Bellamy Road gelding, out of the winning Eddington mare Spa Sunrise, has banked $248,410 via a 16-4-1-1 ledger. His second dam, Beautiful Sunshine, is a half-sister to multiple graded stakes-winning millionaire Bet On Sunshine.