Book’em Danno takes on 11 in Woody Stephens

The New Jersey-bred gelding comes off a 105-day layoff since finishing second to Forever Young in the Saudi Derby (G3) at King Abdulaziz Racecourse, a respite trainer Derek Ryan says was a deliberate move.

“We gave him time off [to get ready] for a summer campaign,” said Ryan, who trains Book’em Danno for Atlantic Six Racing. “This is a logical spot coming off that race.”

This year, Book’em Danno was sent halfway around the world on the heels of his 12 1/2-length score in the Pasco Stakes Jan. 13 at Tampa Bay Downs, only to watch their horse get nipped at the wire in a photo finish to Forever Young, who went on to finish third in the Kentucky Derby (G1).

“We won’t over race him [in 2024] and hopefully we’ll get back to the desert next year,” said Ryan, who will give a leg up to Irad Ortiz, Jr.

The Woody Stephens race is one of five undercard Grade 1 races on Belmont Stakes Day – the Met Mile, Manhattan, Ogden Phipps, and Jaipur are the others.

Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, who took the race last year with Arabian Lion, has two chances to make it back-to-back wins when he sends out Imagination (10-1), most recently seventh in the Preakness (G1), and Prince of Monaco (the 7-2 favorite), unraced since a fifth-place finish in the 2023 BC Juvenile (G1).

Both horses are owned by a group headed by SF Racing, which paid $1.05 million for Imagination at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale and $950,000 for Prince of Monaco at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling Sale.

Imagination, who won the San Felipe (G2) and finished second in the Santa Anita Derby (G1) before the Preakness, was initially under consideration for the 1 ¼-mile Belmont Stakes.

“I didn’t feel comfortable running him a mile and a quarter after that effort last time. We learned a lot about him from that race and I think we’ve just got to use different tactics,” said Baffert. “He’s probably more of a miler, so we backed him up.”

Prince of Monaco has posted bullets in three of his past four breezes at Santa Anita, most recently covering 6 furlongs in 1:11.20 on June 1.

“Coming off a layoff it’s tough. It would have been nice to get a race into him, but I feel good,” Baffert said. “He’s a top-caliber horse.”

Also entered are Nutella Fella (15-1), a 54-1 winner of the 2023 Hopeful (G1) at the Spa and Frost Free (15-1), who took the Chick Lang (G3) on May 18 at Pimlico, along with Maximus Meridius (15-1), Nash (6-1), Vlahos (6-1), Be You (15-1), Valentine Candy (6-1), Reasoned Analysis (15-1), and Barksdale (20-1).

The picks: 1 Book’em Danno 2 Frost Free 3 Prince of Monaco