Sunday’s Beldame (G2) card at Aqueduct included a trio of Grade 3 events intended for turf. All three were transferred to the main track, though, and downgraded to listed status, pending review by the Graded Stakes Committee.
Futurity S.
Atlantic Six Racing’s Book’em Danno didn’t get his chance to try turf in the $145,500 Futurity S., so the unbeaten juvenile laid down the law on dirt. Trained by Derek Ryan and ridden by Jose Ortiz, the 2-5 favorite swept from just off the pace to dominate by 6 1/2 lengths. The smart prospect backed up the visual impression by clocking six furlongs in 1:09.47.
“I rode him like much the best, and he was much the best,” Ortiz said. “I worked him in the morning, and he showed in the morning that he’s a good horse. I was very confident. I got a great post today (outside post 5), and he just responded very well for me when I asked him. He’s a nice horse.”
Works for Me, who led early through fractions of :22.09 and :45.27, salvaged second by a head from Where’s Chris. Next came Jimmythetooth and the tailed-off Ruddy Buddy, who couldn’t recover from a terrible stumble out of the gate. The withdrawn trio – Apollo Ten, Please Advise, and Lamorna – would all have been logical threats on turf.
Although the Futurity is part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series for the Juvenile Turf Sprint (G1), the change in conditions prevents an automatic “Win and You’re In” berth. A Breeders’ Cup panel will have to review the result and determine whether to extend the perk.
That might be academic in any event, since Book’em Danno is under consideration for the Nov. 5 Nashua S. back at Aqueduct, with a turf experiment further down the line.
Book’em Danno is now 3-for-3 with $200,625 in earnings. The Bucchero gelding won his first two at his home base of Monmouth Park, bossing fellow New Jersey-breds by 9 1/2 lengths on debut and dismissing open company in the Smoke Glacken S.
Ryan paid Book’em Danno quite a compliment by invoking past trainee Musket Man, a Grade 2-winning millionaire who placed in several majors, including the 2009 Kentucky Derby (G1) and Preakness (G1).
“He’ll go as far as I want him to go,” Ryan said. “I had a horse a few years ago – Musket Man – and everyone told me (about stretching out), ‘he’s six furlongs, he can’t do that.’ You train them to do whatever you want.”
Out of the Ghostzapper mare Adorabella, Book’em Danno is a half-brother to multiple stakes scorer Girl Trouble, who was a one-turn specialist. But he could be a better performer all around. They were bred in the Garden State by Gregory Kilka and Bright View Farm.
Matron S.
The companion $150,000 Matron S. sustained even more defections – Godolphin shipper Star of Mystery; Amidst Waves, who was rerouted to Keeneland and just missed in the Indian Summer S.; Ever So Sweet; Independenceavenue; and Marco T.
Jody’s Pride was fine with the surface switch, especially since she bolted up in an off-the-turf maiden in her Saratoga debut. The 1.25-1 second choice made it 2-for-2 here, and trainer Jorge Abreu is now thinking Breeders’ Cup for the American Pharoah filly.
“My goal is to make it to the Breeders’ Cup with her,” Abreu said. “I think she’s that kind of horse. (Which race) is something we have to sit down and see. We’ll see how she comes out in the morning and take it from there. I would rather go a mile. A mile on the turf. My first preference is turf.”
Fourth through an opening quarter in :22.17 after lunging at the start, Jody’s Pride took charge by the half in :45.93, and opened up down the lane with Flavien Prat. Tricky Temper made late headway to trim the winner’s margin to 3 1/4 lengths, but the race was already over. Jody’s Pride covered six furlongs in 1:10.77, considerably slower than Book’em Danno.
A Primera Vista checked in another 4 3/4 lengths astern in third. Her trainer, Kerri Raven, claimed foul against Tricky Temper, but the objection was disallowed following the stewards’ review. Sugar Hi, the slight 6-5 favorite over Jody’s Pride, closed mildly for fourth. Leslie’s Loot, early pace factor Love to Eat, and front-runner Devil at Midnight concluded the order under the wire.
Jody’s Pride has now bankrolled $140,250 for owners Parkland Thoroughbreds and Sportsmen Stable. Bred by Parkland’s Steve Weston in Kentucky, the dark bay is out of the Scat Daddy mare Jody’s Song.
Abreu also trained Jody’s Song for Parkland. She raced only twice, but won both of those starts on turf, and that’s part of the reason why Abreu has been eager to put her daughter on the lawn.
“I want to get her (Jody’s Pride) on turf eventually, but Prat always said he liked her better on the dirt,” the horseman said. “I breezed her on the turf, and she breezed pretty good on the turf at Saratoga. That was before she even ran, and I trained her mom – she was 2-for-2 on the turf.”
Noble Damsel S.
Twice postponed due to recent deluges, the $112,500 Noble Damsel S. finally went off on Sunday, but the off-the-turf version ended up as a match race between the only two left in the field. Gerrymander, representing the same Klaravich Stables/Chad Brown tandem as Beldame romper Randomized, outclassed the hard-trying Sunset Louise in a 25-length canter.
The crafty Kendrick Carmouche tried to give Sunset Louise her best chance by hustling to the front through an opening quarter in :22.59. Yet she didn’t have the speed to keep Gerrymander, and Jose Ortiz, at bay. Ortiz let Gerrymander go on with it approaching the half in :44.93, and the Into Mischief filly turned the race into a lopsided affair. Carmouche took care of Sunset Louise promptly, since the outcome was a foregone conclusion.
Ortiz was barely nursing Gerrymander along under a hand ride, but she still kept doubling her margin at successive calls. Six lengths clear at the six-furlong split in 1:10.16, Gerrymander was a dozen lengths ahead in midstretch, and she strolled home all alone in 1:36.46 for the mile.
Brown had withdrawn his turf-meant entrants, Fluffy Socks and Salimah. Malavath, Sparkle Blue, and Panama Red likewise had no interest in the dirt, but two main-track-only distaffers, Balpool and Movie Moxy, also scratched.
While Gerrymander was looking to turf in hopes of sparking a form turnaround, perhaps the blowout will revive her enthusiasm. The $375,000 Keeneland September yearling had ranked among the noteworthy fillies at two and three. Runner-up to champion Echo Zulu in the 2021 Frizette (G1), Gerrymander captured the Tempted S., with future champion Nest only third. She added the Mother Goose (G2) to her ledger in 2022, but went winless ever since. After a third in the May 6 Ruffian (G2), Gerrymander dropped into allowances, only to settle for placings. The Noble Damsel improved her scorecard to 14-4-4-2, $592,000.
Bred by Town & Country Horse Farms and Pollock Farms in Kentucky, Gerrymander is a half-sister to multiple Grade 2-winning marathoner Lone Rock. Their dam, the Grade 3-placed Hard Spun mare Ruby Lips, is herself a three-quarter sister to multiple Grade 1 turfiste Hard Not to Like.
