Book’em Danno books it for the wire in the Pasco (Ben Baugh)
Skyway Festival Features Scores for Mystic Lake in Gasparilla and Opus Forty Two Hits Right Chord in Wayward Lass
By Ben Baugh
OLDSMAR, Fla.— Maybe it was the wind or the breeze of the winner going by, but you could almost hear Steve McGarrett telling Danny “Danno” Willilams to arrest the suspect Saturday afternoon in the 26th running of the $125,000, 7-furlong Pasco Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs.
Book’em Danno was as commanding as Jack Lord’s Hawaii Five-O catchphrase in winning the Pasco, by a resounding 12 ½-lengths, as the son of Bucchero won for the fourth time in five starts. Samuel Marin rode the victor, and Derek Ryan conditions the now 3-time stakes winner.
“You wouldn’t think that in the morning (that he would have been as dominant), but horses do those things,” said Ryan. “He’s very laid back, easy to train. I know they liked the one horse (West Saratoga) a little bit, but I would’ve been disappointed if he didn’t win by five, but 10 is better. I was very confident.”
The prohibitive favorite in the race, going off at odds of 1-10, Book’em Danno was looking to rebound from his last start, where he finished second in the one-mile Nashua Stakes at Aqueduct. He had won his previous three starts which included victories in the Smoke Glacken Stakes this summer at Monmouth Park and the Futurity Stakes at Belmont at the Big A this fall. The winner is campaigned by Atlantic Six Racing, LLC.
“He should’ve probably never got beat in there (the Nashua), he ended up on the lead, as you can see, look at his style (in the Pasco), he’s kind of sitting out the back door, said Ryan. “He likes to sit and stalk. He likes to hunt, not be hunted.”
Book’em Danno’s performance may find the sophomore gelding becoming an international jetsetter, and although he may not be enjoying a plate of kabsa, his next start may be in Riyadh on Saudi Cup day at King Abdulaziz Racecourse, according to Ryan, who will be flying to Saudi Arabia Monday morning.
It was C2 Racing, LLC’s and Stefania Farm, LLC’s Mystic Lake, who was sent off as the favorite in the 40th edition of the 7-furlong, $125,000 Gasparilla Stakes, and the daughter of Mo Town scored her first victory on the dirt, after breaking her maiden this summer at Woodbine. Saffie Joeseph Jr. trains the winner, who was successfully piloted by jockey Edgard Zayas, with the combination of horse and rider victorious by three-quarters-of-a-length.
Mystic Lake has continued to mature and evolve and Saturday’s performance in her sophomore debut seems to be indicative of greater things on the horizon. She was able to showcase her versatility, by winning on a surface she has adapted to. Mystic Lake overcame a rough start but won in convincing and authoritative fashion.
“We liked the way she breezed over at OBS (where she was purchased), and that’s a synthetic track, all along she was showing some ability, and then when we got her in the barn over at Palm Meadows, she worked brilliantly on the dirt, I think two breezes ago, she worked 46 and change in hand,” said Mark Cornett, C2 Racing, LLC. “The first race basically was a complete throw out. We wanted to get her up on a synthetic surface, so we sent her to Woodbine, and she ran very well there, she got very good numbers and graded stakes placed. And now she’s a stakes winner and graded stakes placed, so that helps.”
The 3-year-old Florida-bred filly enjoyed a successful juvenile year at Woodbine, breaking her maiden in her second start, and placing in the listed Glorious Song Stakes and the Grade Three Mazarine Stakes, after a less than propitious start this past summer in her debut at Gulfstream Park.
“We had no reason to think that she wasn’t going to run big or be able to handle the dirt, we gave her off from November by design…let her mature between her two- and three-year-old year, and that’s what we did, and to get her ready for the spring and summer races for the three-year-old fillies,” said Cornett. “That’s where all the bigger races are and the money. This is a very nice prep race for whatever we do next.”
However, the filly’s story hardly ends with her impressive performance Saturday afternoon. One horseman recognized the potential when he purchased Mystic Lake for a modest price at the OBS 2022 October Yearling Sale from Francis and Barbara Vanlangendonck’s Summerfield.
“She’s a very nice filly,” said Tom McCrocklin in a phone interview Saturday evening. “I remember buying her at $3,500, and they stopped, and it was the classic, ‘what did I miss scenario?’ Obviously, I didn’t miss anything.”
Mystic Lake has validated her talent as an athlete under Joseph’s guidance and direction. McCrocklin sold Mystic Lake for $130,000 at the 2023 OBS March 2-year-olds in training sale to Turf Express Partners
“I bought her at OBS in their open yearling sale for $3,500,” said McCrocklin. “She never at any point, looked, acted or trained like a $3,500 horse. She was a very nice filly to break, a very nice filly to train. We sold her at the March sale. She breezed really good, As I recall, she breezed 20-and-4 for a quarter.”
The 40th edition of the $50,000 Wayward Lass, contested at a mile-and-a-sixteenth found a familiar name in the winner’s circle. Mendelssohn the composer gave us Elijah and Violin Concerto. Mendelssohn the Thoroughbred stallion gave us Opus Forty Two. The third choice in the field of six fillies and mares, demonstrated her temerity, catching the favorite Dream Concert in deep stretch for a ¾-length victory under the confident handling of Tampa Bay Downs’ all-time leading rider Daniel Centeno. It was Opus Forty Two’s third win at the Oldsmar oval, and second added money score after winning the 2023 running of the Gasparilla. Mark Grier campaigns Opus Forty Two and the 4-year-old filly is trained by Arnaud Delacour. The depth of the field featured speedballs Libban and She’s My Warrior, ensuring a fast pace.
“You always have to worry about the speed, especially when there are a couple of horses that went wire-to-wire,” said Delacour. “Speed is dangerous especially in a dirt race. I was worried about them a little bit. Danny knows the filly very well. I just told him to get out there running and let her be comfortable wherever she is. If you end up in front, so be it, there was enough pace…she settled, saved her ground and came with a big run. We were very happy with her (coming into the race).”
It was redemption for Opus Forty Two, who ran second in her previous start, a stakes at Laurel Park this past autumn. However, a return to familiar environs seemed to be the right chord for the filly.
“The Thirty Eight Go Go didn’t set up very well, if you look at the race, she got carried eight wide, that’s kind of tough to overcome,” said Delacour. “But today was perfect. She obviously likes Tampa. She’s always run well here. That’s her third win. She’s done great for us, and she keeps on improving as well. She’s definitely improved physically from three to four. We saw her move forward in the way she filled out and, in her behavior, and those are positive signs.”
