Book'em Danno to prep for 2026 at Ryan's Tampa base
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OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Book’em Danno, the multiple Grade 1 stakes-winning New Jersey-bred, will soon be joining trainer Derek Ryan’s stable at Tampa Bay Downs to begin preparing for his 5-year-old campaign.
Ryan, speaking Friday morning at Belmont Park, where he has a few horses stabled, said Book’em Danno is currently on a farm in Ocala “chilling” and getting some exercise on a treadmill. Ryan said while he doesn’t anticipate having Book’em Danno ready in time for a trip to Saudi Arabia in February, he didn’t rule out a trip to Dubai for the Golden Shaheen on March 28.
“I think I can make the Dubai race, if not I’ll wait until Keeneland,” said Ryan, referring to the Commonwealth Stakes, typically run in early April.
Being based at Tampa, Ryan does have the option of bringing Book’em Danno back in the Pelican Stakes, a listed six-furlong race at that track on Feb. 7, if he’s ready in time. As a 3-year-old, Book’em Danno won the Pasco Stakes at Tampa by 12 1/2 lengths before going to Saudi Arabia, where he was beaten a head by Forever Young in the $1.5 million Saudi Derby.
Ryan said he was glad he didn’t run Book’em Danno in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Del Mar, even though he noted that the only time Book’em Danno faced Breeders’ Cup Sprint winner Bentornato, in the 2024 Grade 3 Saudi Derby, he beat him.
“That track was so speed-favoring,” Ryan said of Del Mar. “If you didn’t have the lead there, you were dead.”
Booke’em Danno went 4 for 5 in 2025 with victories in the Grade 3 True North in June, the Grade 2 Alfred G. Vanderbilt in July, and Grade 1 Forego in August, all at Saratoga.
“I’ll never make those three races again, let alone win them,” Ryan said.
Ryan believes Book’em Danno should get the Eclipse Award for champion sprinter over Bentornato “because our horse had a harder campaign,” he said.
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