Book'em Danno scares off competition prior to Boston Handicap win
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Two horses won $150,000 handicaps at Colonial Downs on Friday, but the meaning behind those victories for the respective connections was vastly different.
For Book'em Danno, winner of last year's Grade 1 Woody Stephens, a victory in the Boston Handicap was merely a stepping stone to kickstart an ambitious 4-year-old season. It's no coincidence that eight horses in the field of 11 were scratched Friday.
"I don't really blame anyone for scratching," said the victor's trainer, Derek Ryan. "After the race, I'm sure they're all glad they did."
The New-Jersey-bred gelding may have scared away most opponents before the gates opened for the Boston, but the pair of runners who stuck around ensured that it wouldn't be a paid workout. Celtic Contender, a recent restricted stakes winner at Laurel, vied with Book'em Danno ($2.60) for the early lead on the rail, while 7-year-old gelding Repo Rocks stalked the pair and made a bold move around the turn.
The trio entered the stretch on nearly even ground, forcing Book'em Danno to dig deep in a three-way duel to the line. The 1-5 favorite then proved his worth, pulling away to win by 2 1/2 lengths and completing seven furlongs in 1:20.03, less than two-tenths of a second off the track record.
Ryan previously stated that he is considering shipping Book'em Danno to Dubai next month for the $1 million Godolphin Mile. The Grade 1 Churchill Downs Stakes, to be held on Kentucky Derby Day, has also been mentioned as a potential target. Regardless of the next step, Book'em Danno's performance at Colonial under jockey Paco Lopez gave the trainer no reason to reconsider any of those plans.
Stellar Wind Handicap
For Sheilahs Warcloud, a hard-knocking filly who had previously lost four stakes races by less than two lengths, a victory in the Stellar Wind Handicap was a long-awaited breakthrough.
"I'm almost relieved now," owner/trainer Justin Nixon said after the race. "I'm obviously tremendously happy, and there's that bit of relief. It's been a goal that we haven't quite been able to knock out."
Nixon, along with his partner, Dr. Megan Kerford, bred Sheilahs Warcloud in 2021. Formerly winless in stakes races as an owner, he has struggled alongside his filly through every near miss. Allowance victories and minor purses in stakes races were more than enough from a financial standpoint, but Nixon also described a nagging feeling that she could do more.
In January, shortly after her fifth stakes loss and first career finish outside the money, Nixon brought her to Solera Farm for a much-needed winter break and worked to have his filly sharp in her 4-year-old debut.
Those efforts paid off on Friday, as jockey Wes Hamilton encouraged Sheilahs Warcloud to make a determined charge from fifth. Cutting back slightly to six furlongs, Nixon said he told Hamilton to keep her in touch with the field. Widest of the leading group entering the stretch, she took command and outlasted Mary Q to win the Stellar Wind by a neck, paying $9.20 to win.
"I was a little worried that [Mary Q] was going to sneak up on us and maybe get in front of us late, but she just dug in," Nixon said. "She's so honest. We're really blessed to have a filly like that."
Sheilahs Warcloud will likely stay at this level, as Nixon plans to target similar restricted races in Maryland this spring. She will enter those races as a stakes winner.
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