Ryan Set to Run Book'em Danno in Jersey Shore

As much as the connections of Book'em Danno  have their eyes set on a grade 1 prize, there's a home game right around the corner for them.

Trainer Derek Ryan said the New Jersey-bred and -based son of Bucchero   will run July 19 at Monmouth Park, walking from his stall to the racetrack for the $100,000 Jersey Shore Stakes for 3-year-olds.

"I get an extra week to prepare for the Allen Jerkens by running here," Ryan said in explaining the decision to run in the Jersey Shore as opposed to the July 26 Amsterdam Stakes (G2) at Saratoga Race Course as a prep for the Aug. 24 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial Stakes (G1). "The Jerkens is the main goal and I rather have five weeks than four. I like the five weeks. The weather has cooled down and all the guys (who own him) are local. If the weather didn't change I'd have scratched him, but we're going to run."

Winner of the June 8 Woody Stephens Stakes (G1) in his last start, Book'em Danno is owned by Atlantic Six Racing, which is comprised of friends who are New Jersey natives.

"It will be the first time the owners can see him at Monmouth since last year, so they'll have a good time," Ryan said. "They are going to have a barbecue with a bunch of friends. They are looking forward to seeing him here."

Bred by Gregory Kilka and Bright View Farm in New Jersey out of the Ghostzapper   mare Adorabella, Book'em Danno prepped for Friday's six-furlong race with a :47 bullet work July 11 at Monmouth.

"He worked super and he's doing great. It's nice timing to set him up for the next one," Ryan said.

The Jersey Shore attracted a field of six, but Jasper's Pride  is expected to scratch to run in the $1 million Haskell Stakes (G1) July 20.

The top threats figure to be Jersey Pride, B. Belford, and Boardwalk's Little Ni , a son of Mohaymen   trained by Eddie Owens Jr. who brings a 3-for-3 record with a combined winning margin of 17 lengths into his stakes debut, and Klaravich Stables' Proprietary Trade , a Practical Joke   colt trained by Chad Brown who won a June 2 allowance optional claimer at Monmouth.

The field also includes Happy Tenth Stable's Buccherino , a Bucchero 3-year-old who was third in the May 5 Gold Fever Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack for trainer Alfredo Velazquez.

"It's a salty race," Ryan said. "Eddie Owens has a nice horse."

Book'em Danno comes into Friday's race with a record of five wins in seven starts. A winner of the Pasco Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs by 12 1/2 lengths to start his 3-year-old campaign, he was a game second in the Feb. 24 Saudi Derby (G3) at a mile, losing by a head in the $1,500,000 stakes to Forever Young , who was undefeated at the time and later finished a close third in the Kentucky Derby (G1).