West Saratoga Begins Sophomore Campaign in Pasco Stakes

Harry L. Veruchi's West Saratoga , upset winner of last year's Iroquois Stakes (G3), makes his first start in more than three months in the Jan. 13 Pasco Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs. The comeback won't be easy for the stony-colored gray or 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 seven times, earning his maiden and taking the Iroquois 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 steppingstone 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 overwhelmed 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 at Aqueduct Racetrack. Stretching his speed to a mile in the Nov. 5 Nashua Stakes at Aqueduct, 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 past two efforts since taking the blinkers off.

Mystic Lake Looms in Gasparilla

Earlier on the Tampa Bay card, the $125,000 Gasparilla for 3-year-old fillies 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 earning her maiden there at second asking in September. The daughter of Mo Town   recently zipped a bullet half-mile work at Palm Meadows Training Center in :46.95 Dec. 30 as she prepares for her sophomore debut.

This will mark only her second try on dirt after finishing off the board in her August maiden debut at Gulfstream Park.