Book'em Danno just nails Little Ni in Jersey Shore

OCEANPORT, N.J. – Book’em Danno most assuredly did not win like a 1-5 shot should, but he did win the $110,000 Jersey Shore Stakes on Friday at Monmouth Park.

Book’em Danno needed all the Monmouth homestretch to pass Little Ni, who pressed the early pace of Proprietary Trade and took the lead before the three-furlong marker around the far turn.

Meanwhile, things were not going so well for Book’em Danno, the New Jersey-bred who has turned into one of the leading 3-year-old dirt sprinters in North America.

In February, Book’em Danno almost beat the Japanese standout sophomore Forever Young in the Saudi Derby, and in his first start following that trip he won the Grade 1 Woody Stephens on June 8 at Saratoga. His local owners, Atlantic Six Racing, and trainer Derek Ryan considered three races for the gelding to fill the gap between the Stephens and the Grade 1 Allen Jerkens on Aug. 24: the Troy and the Amsterdam at Saratoga and Friday’s contest at Monmouth, Ryan’s summer base.

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The six-furlong Jersey Shore, restricted to 3-year-olds, certainly was the right spot if the goal was to get in a useful interim start while also winning, but even scratching down to a four-runner field, this was no easy race.

Little Ni, trained for a partnership by Eddie Owens, came into the Jersey Shore unbeaten in three starts. Owens said the Frosted gelding was among the last 2-year-olds to join his Monmouth string last summer, and by the time Owens had Little Ni ready to start the Monmouth meet had ended. Owens sent the Mohaymen gelding to Delaware Park, where Little Ni romped in an Oct. 20 maiden race, and following a winter break Little Ni thrashed older rivals in first- and second-level allowances races at this meet.

While Little Ni is a good horse and Book’em Danno had to work hard to beat him, the trip Book’em Danno pulled added several degrees of difficulty. Irad Ortiz rode Book’em Danno in Saudi Arabia and Saratoga, with Samuel Marin, aboard for three of the gelding’s wins, getting the mount back Friday. Ryan insisted he specifically told Marin to make a beeline for the outside and a clean trip on a horse who lacks much early pace. Instead, Marin clung to the fence, and at the half-mile pole, one could see what was about to happen.

Book’em Danno wound up in a jackpot, Marin asking his colt hard past the quarter pole to split horses, extricate himself from traffic, and get outside Little Ni. Little Ni leapt to a clear lead in upper stretch and even at the stretch call held a 2 1/2-length advantage over the favorite. Book’em Danno came relentlessly on the outside, getting home by a long nose.

“We got what we wanted out of it, I guess I can say that,” said Ryan, who acted more like a trainer who had lost a race than won.

Owens, who thought his charge might have hung on, was grimly disappointed, perking up when acknowledging his lightly raced gelding had just come within a nose of a Grade 1 winner.

“I knew he was a really nice horse. I’m not afraid of anyone,” said Owens, dropping a hint that Little Ni might get have another chance with Book’em Danno on a grander stage than a Monmouth Friday.

Book’em Danno paid $2.40 and was timed in a snappy 1:09.28 over a fast main track. The top two ran away from the bottom two, Buccherino 5 3/4 lengths behind Little Ni and 3 1/2 ahead of Proprietary Trade.

Out of the Ghostzapper mare Adorabella, Book’em Danno is by the rising young stallion Bucchero, and was bred by Gregory Kilka and Bright View Farm.

Close call, but another victory for a standout New Jersey-bred.

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