Book'em Danno pointed toward Churchill Downs Stakes

Book’em Danno, who made a successful 4-year-old debut winning an overnight handicap at Colonial Downs on March 14, is being pointed toward the Grade 1, $1 million Churchill Downs, a seven-furlong race on the Kentucky Derby undercard.

“The timing is good after his race which, even though it was only a three-horse field, he ran a big number and I didn’t want to run him back quick,” trainer Derek Ryan said Monday. “This is [seven] weeks, he’s run well fresh, the distance is good, and the prize money isn’t bad.”

Book’em Danno returned to the work tab last Friday, breezing a half-mile in 49.60 seconds over Tampa’s main track. It was his first work since he won his 4-year-old debut.

“It was just an easy half, went on his own, nothing major,” Ryan said.

Book’em Danno, a New Jersey-bred son of Bucchero, has won 7 of 12 starts including the Grade 1 Woody Stephens last summer at Saratoga.

Ryan plans to bring another horse to Churchill that week, the 3-year-old filly Naked Eye, who won a maiden race by a half-length on March 29 at Tampa in her third start. He plans to run her in a first-level allowance on May 2.

“When she gets on the grass she’ll get even better,” Ryan said. “Those [progeny of] Vekoma seem to run on anything.”

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