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.
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.
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.
Tampa Bay Downs, Saturday, January 13, 2024, Race 9Entries: Pasco S.
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
Tampa Bay Downs, Saturday, January 13, 2024, Race 7Entries: Gasparilla S.
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