Saratoga trainer Derek Ryan expressed reluctance about sending Forego Stakes winner Book ’em Danno (Bucchero) to the Breeders’ Cup Sprint despite the gelding’s impressive victory Saturday.
“I’m really not that interested in the Breeders’ Cup,” Ryan said. “I have no desire to go there. I’m sure I’ll be pressured into it, but the Breeders’ Cup is not on my radar. I’m not keen to run him on a track that I don’t think will suit him. The stretch is too short and the track is speed-favoring.”
The 4-year-old New Jersey-bred has established himself as the nation’s top sprinter with four consecutive standout performances. His GI Forego Stakes triumph marks his second Grade I victory and third consecutive graded stakes win at Saratoga.
Ryan’s concerns center on preserving the gelding’s longevity. “He’s run four monster races in a row, starting with the race at Churchill,” he said. “They’ve been tough races. It has taken a little bit out of him. We want him to last. I need him around for a few more years.”
By Sunday, Ryan had moderated his position slightly. “We’ll talk about it down the road,” he said. “I am sure I will have a meeting with the partners. I’m not a bit set in my ways. It’s not a no and it’s not a yes. It’s a maybe.”
Book ’em Danno is owned by Atlantic Six Racing, a partnership of six friends from the Jersey Shore. Managing partner Jay Briscione acknowledged the complexity of the decision.
“It’s the trainer’s job to do what he is doing,” Briscione said. “By any metric you look at, this is probably the most consistent horse in training. He deserves all the credit and Derek has done a great job.”
Briscione noted that while the Breeders’ Cup represents an exciting opportunity, several factors complicate the decision. “The negatives are that he’ll have to face some very good, fresh horses like Straight No Chaser and Bentornato. They’ll be fresh and we’ve gone through a tough campaign. We’d have to ship all the way across the country. It’s a speed favoring track with a short stretch.”
“The positive is the $2-million purse,” he added. “We’re keeping an open mind.”
No Triple Crown for Sovereignty
Sovereignty (Into Mischief) continued his dominance of the 3-year-old division with a victory in Saturday’s GI Travers Stakes, adding to wins in the GI Belmont Stakes and GII Jim Dandy Stakes.
The colt’s impressive run raises questions about what might have been had his connections not skipped the GI Preakness Stakes. Trainer Bill Mott and the Godolphin team opted to bypass the middle jewel of the Triple Crown, prioritizing the horse’s well-being over the demanding schedule of three races in five weeks.
This decision highlights ongoing concerns about the Triple Crown’s compressed timeline. With only two weeks between the GI Kentucky Derby and the Preakness, and trainers increasingly cautious about quick turnarounds, more Derby winners may skip the Preakness in coming years.
A potential solution would involve spacing the races at four-week intervals — placing the Derby on the first Saturday in May, the Preakness on the first Saturday in June, and the Belmont on the first Saturday in July. However, NYRA has shown resistance to adjusting the Belmont Stakes date.
Belterra Stewards Got It Right
Stewards at Belterra Park handed jockey Albin Jimenez a one-year suspension following a questionable ride in Thursday’s second race.
The investigation began when trainer Tom Drury, who saddled Jimenez’s mount Afleet Vintage (Afleet Alex), requested a review of the race. The 3-5 favorite broke well and took the early lead before Jimenez appeared to restrain the horse significantly.
Afleet Vintage eventually finished second behind Permit to Carry (Goldencents), ridden by Summer Pauly, after making a late run that proved insufficient.
The stewards offered to reduce the suspension to six months if Jimenez does not appeal the ruling — a notably stringent penalty compared to the shorter suspensions often issued in similar cases.
