Two of last season’s notable juvenile stakes winners, West Saratoga and Book’em Danno, will kick off their sophomore campaigns in Saturday’s $125,000 Pasco S. at Tampa Bay Downs. The seven-furlong affair serves as a stepping stone to the track’s Kentucky Derby (G1) qualifiers, the Feb. 10 Sam F. Davis (G3) and March 9 Tampa Bay Derby (G2).
West Saratoga’s claim to fame is scoring a 12-1 upset of the first race on the Road to Kentucky Derby 150, the Sept. 16 Iroquois (G3) at Churchill Downs. The Larry Demeritte trainee couldn’t back that up at a higher level in the Breeders’ Futurity (G1), where a more aggressive pace-tracking trip contributed to his tiring fifth. West Saratoga picks up Tampa’s leading rider, Samy Camacho, on the rail.
Book’em Danno rates as the slight favorite on the morning line, pegged at 3-2 versus West Saratoga at 9-5, in light of his profile in sprints. Unbeaten in his first three starts, including the off-the-turf Futurity S. at Aqueduct, he lost his perfect mark when worn down late in the one-mile Nashua S.
As that suggests, the Bucchero gelding might not have Triple Crown trail ambitions. Indeed, trainer Derek Ryan told Daily Racing Form’s Marcus Hersh that the Pasco could be a springboard to the Feb. 24 Saudi Derby (G3) around a one-turn mile on Saudi Cup Day. Samuel Marin, who guided Book’em Danno early on at Monmouth Park, regains the mount.
The 124-pound co-highweights, Book’em Danno and West Saratoga will concede six pounds to their opponents. Three of them renew rivalry from the six-furlong Inaugural S. – closing runner-up Crazy Mason, likely to benefit from the added ground here; third-placer Rathmore, who stands to benefit from that experience straight off his maiden win (and a better post 7 here); and class-challenged seventh El Principito.
The two remaining entrants are climbing into stakes company for the first time. Banded Rocket graduated at first asking over this course for Kathleen O’Connell, but Bati King has been beaten by lesser. Note that no rider was named at entry time for Banded Rocket.
Carded as the ninth race (4:32 p.m. ET), the Pasco anchors a trio of stakes on the Saturday program.
The companion race for fillies, the $125,000 Gasparilla S. (seventh race at 3:34 p.m. ET), features 6-5 favorite Mystic Lake from the Saffie Joseph Jr. barn. Placed twice in stakes on the Woodbine Tapeta, she’ll meet an in-form Girvin’s Princess; D’lightful Summer, representing 20% turf-to-dirt trainer Gerald Bennett; Gorgeous Girl; and Genuine Peril, most recently fourth in the Sandpiper S. here.
Last year’s Gasparilla heroine, Opus Forty Two, returns as the 7-5 choice in the $50,000 Wayward Lass S. (sixth race at 3:04 p.m. ET) going 1 1/16 miles.
