West Saratoga Begins Sophomore Campaign in Pasco

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Photo: Coady Photography
West Saratoga wins the 2023 Iroquois Stakes at Churchill Downs

Harry L. Veruchi's West Saratoga , the upset winner of last year's Iroquois Stakes (G3) makes his first start in over three months in the Jan. 13 Pasco Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs. The comeback won't be easy for the stony-colored gray/roan, as he'll have to defeat the New Jersey-bred speedster Book'em Danno  in the $125,000 seven-furlong test for sophomores.

West Saratoga, the most experienced member of the seven-horse field, was rested following a fifth-place finish in Keeneland's Breeders' Futurity (G1). The battle-hardened Exaggerator  colt has faced the starter's block seven times, breaking his maiden and taking the Iroquois Stakes in succession last fall. In his Iroquois conquest, he defeated the talented Liberal Arts , an impressive next-out winner of the Street Sense Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs.

Trained by Larry Demeritte, the colt collected 10 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby in winning the Iroquois. While the Pasco affords no points to its winner, the race serves a key stepping stone for Tampa's two Kentucky Derby (G1) prep races in the months to come—the Feb. 10 Sam F. Davis Stakes (G3) (worth 20 points) and the March 9 Tampa Bay Derby (G2), a lucrative 1 1/16-mile prize worth 50 points to the race victor.

West Saratoga cuts back to one turn for his 3-year-old debut, which may leave him vulnerable to likely pacesetters Book'em Danno and Inaugural Stakes third place-getter Rathmore .

Book'em Danno, a son of Bucchero  , blazed through his first three starts by a combined 18 lengths for trainer Derek Ryan and owners Atlantic Six Racing. The gelding annihilated state-bred rivals in his Monmouth Park unveiling before twice defeating open company in the six-furlong Smoke Glacken Stakes and off-the-turf Futurity Stakes. Stretching his speed to a mile in the Nov. 5 Nashua Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack, he was runner-up to Where's Chris  after being corralled in the final yards.

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Crazy Mason , from the barn of Greg Sacco, could also be part of the fray in the Pasco. A late-running second-place finisher of the Inaugural Stakes Dec. 2 at Tampa Bay, the Coal Front   colt has run improving numbers in his last two efforts since taking the blinkers off.

Mystic Lake Looms Mighty in Gasparilla

Earlier on the Tampa Bay card, the $125,000 Gasparilla for 3-year-old fillies also offers no Kentucky Oaks (G1) points to its winner but acts as a segue to the track's Suncoast Stakes Feb. 10, a 20-pointer toward the Run for the Lillies.

Heavy favoritism should fall upon C2 Racing Stable and Stefania Farms' Mystic Lake. The Saffie Joseph Jr. trainee was twice stakes-placed at Woodbine after breaking her maiden there at second asking in September. She recently zipped a bullet half-mile work at Palm Meadows Training Center in :46.95 Dec. 30.


Entries: Pasco S.

Tampa Bay Downs, Saturday, January 13, 2024, Race 9

  • STK
  • 7f
  • Dirt
  • $125,000
  • 3 yo
  • 4:32 PM (local)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L
1 1West Saratoga (KY) Samy Camacho 124 Larry W. Demeritte 9/5
2 2Bati King (KY) Angel S. Arroyo 118 Gerard Ochoa 30/1
3 3Book'em Danno (NJ) Samuel Marin 124 Derek S. Ryan 3/2
4 4Crazy Mason (KY) Mychel J. Sanchez 118 Gregory D. Sacco 4/1
5 5Banded Rocket (FL) UNKNOWN 118 Kathleen O'Connell 10/1
6 6El Principito (FL) Gabriel Maldonado 118 Michael V. Laurato 30/1
7 7Rathmore (FL) Antonio A. Gallardo 118 Thomas Albertrani 6/1


Entries: Gasparilla S.

Tampa Bay Downs, Saturday, January 13, 2024, Race 7

  • STK
  • 7f
  • Dirt
  • $125,000
  • 3 yo Fillies
  • 3:34 PM (local)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L
1 1Mystic Lake (FL) Edgard J. Zayas 118 Saffie A. Joseph, Jr. 6/5
2 2Copper Bound (KY) Antonio A. Gallardo 118 Gregory D. Sacco 20/1
3 3D'lightful Summer (KY) Samuel Marin 118 Gerald S. Bennett 8/1
4 4Runaway Diva (KY) Ronald Dale Allen, Jr. 118 Maria Bowersock 10/1
5 5Girvin's Princess (FL) Hector Rafael Diaz, Jr. 118 Kathleen O'Connell 7/2
6 6Gorgeous Girl (KY) Samy Camacho 118 Gregory D. Sacco 3/1
7 7Genuine Peril (FL) Jose A. Batista 118 Carlos Munoz 20/1
8 8Corinth (KY) Carlos Eduardo Rojas 118 Carlos Munoz 30/1