Booked, shown wiring the Grade 3 Sanford by six lengths under Ricardo Santana Jr., looks to double up on graded wins in Saturday’s Grade 2 Saratoga Special. (Dom Napolitano/NYRA)
Christian Abdo
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Jackpot Farm, Alvin Fults, Jason Itkin and Michael Smith’s Booked looks to double up on graded wins in Saturday’s Grade 2, $250,000 Saratoga Special, a 6 1/2-furlong sprint for juveniles, at Saratoga Race Course.
Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, the Yaupon dark bay enters from a six-length wiring of the six-furlong Grade 3 Sanford in a final time of 1:11.24 on July 4 here. The frontrunning victory under returning rider Ricardo Santana, Jr. earned a career and field-best 85 Beyer Speed Figure.
Booked previously graduated second-out sprinting 5 1/2 furlongs on June 7 here after finishing a 5 1/2-length second to well-regarded filly Fanshell Beach going 4 1/2 furlongs on debut in April at Churchill Downs, where he broke inwardly from the rail and traveled last early.
“Obviously very happy with his two races up here,” Asmussen said. “I think he benefits from racing. That was his third race in the Sanford. Any 2-year-old that has run three times already, that’s quite a bit of running.”
Asmussen trained Booked’s sire Yaupon to win 6-of-8 starts, including Spa scores in the 2020 Grade 2 Amsterdam and 2021 Grade 1 Forego. The trainer said both horses were quiet in morning training, but possessed serious speed when it came time to race.
“He’s bigger than Yaupon was at this same stage,” said Asmussen. “He has a very laid back demeanor, just like his father. He’s a big 2-year-old, has good size, and I think we’ve seen progression in his three races.”
Bred in Indiana by Peace Of Heaven Thoroughbreds, Booked, a $325,000 purchase at the 2025 Keeneland September Yearling Sale out of the Competitive Edge mare Fingerprint, is a half-brother to dual stakes-placed Zadorsky.
Santana, Jr. is back aboard from post 4.
LSU Stables’ Flight Command [post 6, Flavien Prat] won his lone start by 10 lengths sprinting 5 1/2 furlongs on June 25 at Aqueduct Racetrack. Trained by Rudy Rodriguez, the Flightline bay steps up in class off the frontrunning performance that earned an 84 Beyer.
“That was very, very impressive the first time and I don’t think we had the horse ready to run 100 percent,” Rodriguez said. “We got some nice works into him before, but I thought he needed a race to tighten him up, then we could look for a maiden special weight at Saratoga because everybody wants to win here at Saratoga. I think his race did tons of good for him. I don’t think he’s 100 percent, but he’s tight.”
Flight Command, a $275,000 purchase at the OBS March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training, is out of the Candy Ride mare Stonetonic and his second dam is Grade 1-placed Stonetastic.
“He’s progressing very nicely,” said Rodriguez. “He’s a very laid back horse who gallops with a lot of energy. I’m just happy and enjoying the ride that the owners gave us the opportunity to have this baby in the barn.”
Flight Command was the first United States winner for first-crop sire Flightline, the 6-for-6 son of Tapit who was named 2022 Horse of the Year and Champion Older Dirt Male. Flightline won from six to 10 furlongs, including four Grade 1s capped by the 2022 Breeders’ Cup Classic.
“To me, Flight Command looks like more of a sprinter type. His father could do everything up to a mile and a quarter,” Rodriguez said. “To me, the type of body our horse has, he looks more like a sprinter. Maybe seven-eighths, but that father could do everything. I’m just knocking on wood and enjoying the ride.”
Gold Square’s How’s Al Today [post 1, Luis Saez] is also 1-for-1, winning his 5 1/2-furlong debut on June 4 at Churchill Downs. Trained by Riley Mott, the Munnings chestnut exited post 1-of-11 under returning jockey Luis Saez and rallied from 5 1/2 lengths back to post a one-length victory that earned a 66 Beyer.
How’s Al Today, a $200,000 purchase at the 2025 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, is out of the Into Mischief mare Into Magic, a full-sister to 2015 Sovereign Award-winning Older Mare and Female Sprinter Miss Mischief.
Rounding out the field are Twinkle Town [post 3, Jose Ortiz], a dominant debut winner on June 27 at Churchill Downs who earned a 78 Beyer for trainer Ken McPeek; Rasasi [post 2, Edgard Zayas], a troubled fourth last out in Booked’s Sanford win for conditioner Antonio Sano; and Uncle Kef [post 5, Irad Ortiz, Jr., 2 Front Shoes], returning from a fifth on synthetic in the Listed Victoria on July 12 at Woodbine Racetrack for trainer Kevin Rice.
The Saratoga Special is slated as Race 6 on Saturday’s 12-race card, which is highlighted by the Grade 2 Jim Dandy presented by Mohegan Sun [Race 10], the traditional local prep for the 10-furlong Grade 1, $1.25 million DraftKings Travers, and the Grade 3 Lake George presented by Surfside [Race 9]. First post is 12:30 p.m. Eastern.
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