Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association of New Jersey
By Alan Carasso, TDN
This past season, Eclipse Award voters were forced to choose between the season-long body of work assembled by Atlantic Six Racing's Book'em Danno (g, 5, Bucchero–Adorabella, by Ghostzapper) and the brilliance shown in a pair of big-figure victories achieved by Bentornato (Valiant Minister), capped by success in the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint. That contest was purposely given a pass by the Book'em Danno team.
Book'em Danno prevailed in one of the closest battles on Eclipse evening, and on Saturday afternoon at Saratoga, the argument was settled–belatedly–on the racetrack, as Book'em Danno raced handy enough to a very fast pace, confronted the even-money favorite inside the final furlong and edged away to score by a deceptively easy margin.
That the New Jersey-bred was the second pick was perhaps not as surprising as the fact that the toteboard read 9-5 at the off on Book'em Danno, a significant gap on the board, particularly in light of the gelding's spectacular record at the Spa. After all, he entered this title defense with a mark of 4-0-1 from five previous appearances over this local main, following this race last year with tidy scores in the GII A. G. Vanderbilt Stakes and GI Forego Stakes before taking the rest of the year off. His only blemish? A game third in the GI Woody Stephens Stakes exactly two years ago.
Connections had Middle East riches to race for in the first part of 2026, but ultimately elected to miss the G2 Riyadh Dirt Sprint, won impressively by Imagination (Good Magic), and the G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen, annexed for the second straight year by Dark Saffron (Flameaway) over the first-up Bentornato, who was atypically forced to race behind the speed and couldn't reel in the front-runner while settling for second. Book'em Danno was also looking to make amends for a season-opening loss, a runner-up effort in the GII Carter Stakes at Aqueduct Apr. 4.
Bentornato was not the quickest away, having scratched down into gate two, but he quickly mustered for speed and wrested command while making the early running in the two path.
The complexion of the True North was altered materially when longshot Listenupshance (Shancelot) was asked to accelerate up the inside by Antonio Fresu, and all at once, Bentornato had company through an opening quarter in :21.76. There was no panic in Irad Ortiz, Jr. aboard the last out G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen runner-up, as he allowed the Doug O'Neill trainee to keep pace inside, while Book'em Danno–trained for and ridden for speed by Paco Lopez–was waiting in the wings a few lengths in arrears, gently niggled along by his rider.
Bentornato and Listenupshance continued to ding-dong it up front, the latter refusing to lie down at the rail, but Book'em Danno was finding his best stride entering the final eighth of a mile and eased by late three away from the fence to take it cozily. Bentornato just won the photo for second from a very stubborn Listenupshance, while Imagination was a non-threatening fourth. The victory takes Book'em Danno to well past the $2-million mark in career earnings.
“He's been training unbelievable. Unbelievable,” said winning trainer Derek Ryan. “He got beat the first time because I ran him one work short. “I left it up to Paco. He said I'm going to be close. I said, 'If he's two behind him [No. 3, Bentornato] turning for home, he'll get him.' And that's what happened.
“He [Lopez] knows the horse so well. He knows what I want. I want him on the outside, make your move on the outside, and it worked out perfect.”
Bentornato's trainer Jose D'Angelo was taking the defeat in his stride.
“He ran big,” the conditioner said. “He had a long trip from Dubai and we know that his best distance is six furlongs, and we went today and six and a half. He ran his race. Strong fractions, I'm very proud of him.”
Pedigree Notes:
Book'em Danno is thus far the most decorated performer for his sire, who covered his first book of mares in New York in 2024 and now anchors the fledgling stallion operation at Ironhorse Stallions in Stillwater, about 20 miles south and east of Saratoga.
Breeder Greg Kilka purchased the unraced Adorabella for $14,000 in foal to Fast Anna at the 2020 Keeneland January Sale, and that foal, Girl Trouble, did her part in improving the page with a pair of juvenile stakes scores in 2022. When factoring in Book'em Danno's emergence in late 2023, the family became even more valuable, as the mare's then-yearling colt by Classic Empire was sold to LC Racing for $135,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Yearling Sale. That produce, a now 3-year-old gelding named Coach Bennett, was a maiden winner at Parx May 25.
LC Racing added Adorabella to the fold when paying $550,000 for the mare in foal to Medaglia d'Oro after she was supplemented to the Fasig-Tipton November Sale in 2023, but the mare subsequently aborted that foal. She was bred back to the Darley superstar, foaling a colt last April and she produced a colt by Forte this term.
The stakes-placed second dam was responsible for synthetic stakes winner Alydiva (Quality Road) and she is a daughter of Esprit d'Escalier, the dam of GSW & MGISP Gastronomical (Sunshine Forever). Alydorable was purchased by Thomas & Mitchell Bloodstock for $5,000 at the 2023 Keeneland November Sale and that mare is the dam of a colt by Bucchero foaled at Ironhorse Stallions on May 11.