Book'em Danno headlines star-studded True North field

Book'em Danno, who swept a trio of graded stakes last summer at Saratoga, will look to again establish his dominance at the Spa as he attempts a title defense in Saturday's Grade 3, $400,000 True North, a 6 1/2-furlong sprint for older horses on Belmont Stakes day.

Trained by Derek Ryan for Atlantic Six Racing, Book'em Danno earned honors as champion male sprinter along with his third successive New Jersey-bred horse of the year title last year for an impressive 4-for-5 campaign that saw the Bucchero gelding sparkle at Saratoga with scores in the True North (G3) in June, the Alfred G. Vanderbilt (G2) in July and the Forego (G1) in August. The majestic season added to Book'em Danno's past Spa success in 2024 that included a win in the Woody Stephens (G1) and a closing third in the H. Allen Jerkens Memorial (G1).

"He likes that track. He seems to like the summer air up there," Ryan said. "I didn't think we'd be running him in all three last summer, it just worked out that way. The Vanderbilt was definitely his best effort of the year by far. He ran a big race and he's coming back good again this year."

In his Vanderbilt score, Book'em Danno overcame a bobble at the start to post a stalking 2 1/2-length victory over Mullikin and stopped the clock for six furlongs in 1:08.98 to earn a career-best 111 Beyer Speed Figure (from Daily Racing Form). The win was surrounded by a 1 1/4-length score over Mullikin in the True North (106 Beyer) and a one-length victory over Scotland in the Forego (93 Beyer).

Book'em Danno (post 6, Paco Lopez) made his 5-year-old debut last out in the Carter (G2) on April 4 at Aqueduct, where he endured a difficult trip when squeezed back at the break after exiting post 2 of 5 under regular rider Paco Lopez. Point Dume, in form and in the midst of a two-race win streak, showed the way on the front end as Book'em Danno saved ground in fourth position. Lopez and Book'em Danno muscled their way off the rail at the top of the lane, but Point Dume was brave on the lead and staved off the challenge of Book'em Danno to complete his hat trick with a narrow neck score in a final time of 1:22.53.

Ryan said he was pleased with the return effort from Book'em Danno, who earned a 100 Beyer – his sixth career triple-digit number.

"On paper, it looked like there might be a bit of a speed duel with the outside horse (Rated by Merit), who was speed but didn't go," Ryan said. "He got blocked in a little bit on the turn. We'd also missed one big work going into it, but all in all, he gave it a good go, and we got one good race back into him. He's good to go now."

Book'em Danno has prepared for his Spa return at Monmouth Park, where he breezed a bullet three-eighths from the gate in 35.0 seconds May 29.

"All of his major work was done; I just put a sharpener into him. I usually pop him out of the gate every time before he runs," Ryan said. "We got a good blow into him, and he came back good. His works have been good so far this year and he's right where we want him to be."

Ryan said returning rider Paco Lopez, aboard for each of Book'em Danno's last six starts, will have options out of the gate.

"He's very agile. You can put him anywhere in the race. He's got speed if you need to use it and you can place him anywhere you like," Ryan said.

The eight-time stakes winner is out of the unraced Ghostzapper mare Adorabella, who also produced dual stakes winner Girl Trouble. He has banked in excess of $1.9 million via a 17: 10-4-1 ledger and is named after the catchphrase from the television show "Hawaii Five-O."

Leon King Stable, Julia Iavarone and Michael Iavarone's Grade 1-winning multimillionaire Bentornato (post 3, Irad Ortiz Jr.) finished second to Book'em Danno in the Eclipse Award voting by a count of 115-82.

Trained by José D'Angelo, the 5-year-old Valiant Minister ridgling made the most of his two starts last year under returning rider Irad Ortiz Jr., taking the Listed Louisville Thoroughbred Society with a stalking trip in September at Churchill Downs ahead of a front-running score in the Breeders' Cup Sprint in November at Del Mar. He earned a career-best 110 Beyer for the 2 1/4-length Breeders' Cup score over returning rival Imagination, who exited that effort to capture the Riyadh Dirt Sprint (G2).

"At Churchill Downs, he ran behind the speed and made his move turning home and it was a smashing victory," D'Angelo said. "When we went to Breeders' Cup, I told Irad that there were two horses that can be fast on the break, so that's why as soon as he broke good, he had to go. You can't let those other horses go because they can make your trip be terrible."

The Florida-bred Bentornato also made his next start in the Middle East, finishing a 1 3/4-length second to defending race winner Dark Saffron in the Dubai Golden Shaheen (G1) on March 28 at Meydan. There, he broke from post 2 of 12 and tracked from fourth position before making a late run for place honors in his seasonal debut.

"We gave him 60 days after Breeders' Cup, so it was very impressive how he came off the layoff in that race. I know he needed that race," D'Angelo said. "Also, we broke inside horses and he was fourth or fifth and then later making his move."

Bentornato has trained into the True North at Churchill Downs, where he worked a half-mile in 48.4 seconds May 30 with Irad Ortiz aboard.

"His work was very good. He worked an easy four furlongs on his own with Irad," D'Angelo said.

D'Angelo said he knew from day one that Bentornato was a special talent. The dark bay made his first five starts at Gulfstream Park, taking the Proud Man at second asking in August 2023 before a pair of restricted Florida-sired stakes sprint scores.

He suffered his first defeat when stretched out to 1 1/16 miles in the In Reality that December but a little more than two months later showed his talent with a third-place effort in the Saudi Derby (G3) in February 2024 at King Abdulaziz Racecourse when six lengths back of a photo finish win by Forever Young over Book'em Danno.

"The first time he lost was in the third leg of the Florida Stallion Series," D'Angelo recalled. "It was his first time going two turns and I told the owners, 'if the horse loses today, don't get too sad because I am sure about his talent but I'm guessing about the distance.'

"In Saudi, he lost against Forever Young and Book'em Danno – two horses that were later Eclipse Award Champions, so he was maturing like a good horse," D'Angelo added.

Bentornato made the grade in the Gallant Bob (G2) in September 2024 at Parx ahead of a half-length second to subsequent champion Straight No Chaser in that year's Breeders' Cup Sprint at Del Mar.

D'Angelo said Bentornato has improved with age.

"We always gave him time. His campaign has some gaps in between – these are minor things – but we gave him time and right now he's running at his peak," D'Angelo said.

Imagination (post 2, Flavien Prat), winner of the six-furlong Riyadh Dirt Sprint (G2) in February at King Abdulaziz Racecourse, arrives from a fourth-place finish in the seven-furlong Churchill Downs (G1) on Kentucky Derby day May 2 at its namesake track.

Trained by Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert for SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Stonestreet Stables, Bashor Racing, Robert Masterson, Waves Edge Capital, Catherine Donovan and Tom Ryan, the 5-year-old Into Mischief horse has banked in excess of $2.1 million through a 16: 4-6-2 ledger.

His victory in the Riyadh Dirt Sprint demonstrated a will to win after breaking a step slow from post 9 of 13 under returning rider Flavien Prat. Imagination had three horses beaten as the field straightened for home, but Prat tipped the dark bay wide and picked off rivals with a powerful turn of foot to score by 3/4 length over Just Beat the Odds.

"He came out of that really well and he's training well," Baffert said. "He's a come-from-behind sprinter-type horse. He's doing really well. We're looking forward to it."

Among his four wins are a score in the 1 1/16-mile San Felipe (G2) in March 2024 at Santa Anita and a 1 3/4-length victory in the six-furlong Santa Anita Sprint Championship (G2) in September.

The $1,050,000 purchase from the 2022 Keeneland September Yearling Sale is out of the graded stakes-winning Empire Maker mare Magical Feeling, making Imagination a full brother to graded stakes winner Occult.

Run Fast Racing's Listenupshance (post 4, Antonio Fresu) ships in from the West Coast for trainer Doug O'Neill.

Listenupshance, a three-time winner from eight starts last year, will look to have his picture taken for the first time in 2026. He was a game second to recent Aristides (G3) winner Cornucopian in the seven-furlong San Carlos (G3) two starts back in March at Santa Anita and enters from a three-length third in an optional-claiming turf sprint there.

"He's been very solid," O'Neill said. "We tried him on the grass the other day because he had won down at Del Mar on it, but I think the dirt is his preferred surface. He's more of a dirt horse than a turf horse, so we'll see."

Listenupshance, initially purchased for $10,000 at the 2023 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale, is by Shancelot, who earned a 121 Beyer for his 12 1/2-length romp in the 2018 Amsterdam (G2) at the Spa. Listenupshance is out of the winning Hard Spun mare Listenupnow, a half sister to multiple graded stakes winner La Coronel – a Grade 1-winning turf router.

Repole Stable's Grade 1-placed Be You (post 7, John Velazquez) will hope to benefit from a pace meltdown for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher, who has won this event previously with Speightstown (2004), Bribon (2010), Caixa Eletronica (2012) and Rock Fall (2015).

The 5-year-old Curlin gelding earned a Grade 1-placing when third in the 1 1/16-mile American Pharoah in October 2023 at Santa Anita but has focused mainly on sprinting in his 4- and 5-year-old campaigns. Be You used stalking tactics to take the seven-furlong Listed Toboggan in February at Aqueduct ahead of a 1 3/4-length third in the Carter. He enters from an off-the-board effort in the restricted Listed Knicks Go traveling one mile on Kentucky Derby day May 2 at Churchill Downs.

"It looks like a tough spot, but with his running style, he likes to settle and make one run, and hopefully he'll get a really fast setup," Pletcher said. "I think seven (furlongs) is his absolute optimal distance, but unfortunately everything is six, six and a half. Maybe at six and a half there's a hot pace and it will all work out."

Be You is out of the Grade 3-winning Congrats mare Jacaranda, a half sister to the Pletcher-trained dual Grade 1 winner Constitution.

Pletcher also sends out the streaking Illuminare (post 8, Manny Franco), who is 2-for-2 in 2026 for owner Centennial Farms.

The 5-year-old City of Light dark bay has won 5 of 8 career starts, and after making one outing last year, has returned with aplomb this campaign to win a restricted handicap sprint in March at Colonial Downs ahead of a 4 3/4-length optional-claiming score in April at Keeneland.

The $500,000 purchase from the 2022 Keeneland September Yearling Sale is out of the multiple stakes-winning New York-bred Majestic Warrior mare I Still Miss You.

Also entered are Faust (post 5, José Ortiz), who was second last out in the Maryland Sprint (G3) for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen; Pentathlon (post 9, Dylan Davis), who arrives from a third-place try in the Westchester (G3) for Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey; and Acoustic Ave (post 1, José Lezcano), a pacesetting neck second in his most recent outing in the John A. Nerud (G3) for conditioner Linda Rice.