Tampa Bay roundup: Book’em Danno runs away with Pasco

As the field turned for home in the 26th running of the $125,000 Pasco Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs with five of the six horses virtually abreast, an enthusiastic crowd braced for a fantastic finish.

They got it, but maybe not the sort most were expecting.

Book’em Danno, a 3-year-old gelding who was the 1-10 betting favorite, overpowered his rivals through the lane, drawing away under jockey Samuel Marín to a 12 1/2-length victory. West Saratoga fought gamely to finish second, a neck ahead of Rathmore.

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Samy Camacho, who rode West Saratoga, and Antonio Gallardo, El Principito’s jockey, said Book’em Danno interfered with them with an inward move on the turn, but their claims were dismissed by stewards who did not change the order of finish.

Book’em Danno’s time for the seven-furlong distance on a fast but perhaps still drying track was 1:23.26. He paid $2.20 to win, a price usually seen at Tampa Bay Downs only in show pools and candy lines, and the $2 exacta paid only $4.40.

“That was perfect. I was so confident before the race. When I got out of the jockeys’ room, I knew I was going to win,” Marín said. “I’ve won on him twice before, and I’ve been working on him almost every morning and teaching him.”

Including a win with Marín in the Smoke Glacken Stakes on Sept. 9 at Monmouth, Saturday’s victory was the fourth in five starts for the New Jersey-bred son of Bucchero out of the Ghostzapper mare Adorabella.

Book’em Danno is owned by Atlantic Six Racing with Jim Scappi and brothers Jim and Mark Rubenstein among the partners. He is trained by Derek Ryan, who won the 2009 Pasco Stakes with Musket Man.

“This was just what I wanted,” said Ryan, who thinks Book’em Danno could be undefeated had he not been forced to set the pace in the Nashua Stakes on Nov. 5 at Aqueduct in his most recent start, finishing second. “Put an easy race into him and move forward. That’s the way he likes to run.

“I could have ridden him myself today.”

Both Samy Camacho, the jockey on West Saratoga, and Gabriel Maldonado, the rider on fourth-place finisher El Principito, claimed foul against the winner, but there was little doubt the result would be allowed to stand.

Larry Demeritte, the trainer of Grade 3 winner West Saratoga, said his horse got checked into the turn, but he did not dispute the stewards’ verdict.

“I thought my horse made a fight of it and ran a great race to get second,” Demeritte said. “Our plan is to keep him here and train up to the (Sam F.) Davis (G3 on Feb. 10).”

The Book’em Danno team has numerous options, including a possible overseas venture for the $1.5 million Saudi Derby (G3) on Feb. 24.

Back on dirt, Mystic Lake wins Gasparilla

Returning to dirt after three starts on the Woodbine synthetic, Florida-bred Mystic Lake took the lead at the outset and was never headed, holding on for a three-quarter-length victory over an onrushing Gorgeous Girl in the 40th edition of the $125,000 Gasparilla Stakes for 3-year-old fillies.

Corinth, an 87-1 shot, finished third.

Winning jockey Edgard Zayas was delighted by Mystic Lake’s performance, which came a race after he was unseated by Libban, his mount in the Wayward Lass Stakes, in the starting gate. Libban pinched Zayas’s right ankle against the side of the starting gate, and the incident caused a delay of several minutes. But jockeys are a gritty bunch, and Zayas said after the Gasparilla it was going to take more for him to surrender the mount on Mystic Lake.

“I feel a little sore, but we’re hanging on,” he said with a smile.

The victory was the second in five starts for Mystic Lake, a daughter of Mo Town out of the Itsmyluckyday mare Salty Soul. Her time for the seven-furlong distance was 1:24.69. She paid $3.60 to win as the heavy betting favorite.

Mystic Lake is owned by C2 Racing Stable and Stefania Farms and trained by Saffie Joseph Jr.

Joseph said Mystic Lake’s career debut in August on the dirt at Gulfstream Park was a mystery. She was never in contention after training well leading to the race. Her form turned around on the Tapeta surface at Woodbine with a maiden victory, a second in the Glorious Song Stakes and a third in the Mazarine Stakes.

“We’ve thought a lot of her all along, and we figured that first start just wasn’t her day,” Joseph said from his Gulfstream Park base. “She’s a very honest filly, and this shows she can get seven furlongs. I’ll talk it over with (co-owner) Mark (Cornett) and come up with a game plan from here. I think she’ll go turf, too.”

Mystic Lake earned a $25,000 winner’s bonus as a Florida-bred, upping her winnings to $55,000, just shy of her career earnings entering the race.

“She took the lead and we never looked back,” Zayas said. “She might have been stopping a little late, but she went quick early, and the track was a little deep. All I had to do was hold on, and she kept trying even when (Gorgeous Girl) came up on the outside.”