The New Jersey-bred gelding Book’em Danno was the best 2-year-old, New Jersey-bred or otherwise, at Monmouth Park last summer. He went to New York in the fall to win the Futurity Stakes and finish second in the Nashua Stakes. Saturday at Tampa Bay Downs, Book’em Danno makes his 3-year-old debut in the $125,000 Pasco Stakes, which includes $75,000 available exclusively to Florida-breds. And his connections are considering races much farther afield than the gulf coast of Florida. “We’re thinking about Saudi Arabia,” said Derek Ryan, who trains Book’em Danno for Atlantic Six Racing. The Middle Eastern spot for Book’em Danno would be the $1.5 million Saudi Derby, a one-turn mile on Feb. 24. With that in mind, one might view the seven-furlong Pasco as a prep for next month’s far richer opportunity. Even so, there are only two other Pasco entrants, West Saratoga and Crazy Mason, who appear to have any reasonable chance of taking down the New Jersey-bred. By Bucchero, Book’em Danno runs with a wildly inefficient and seemingly awkward action – but he can run. He debuted in a New Jersey-bred maiden sprint on Aug. 12, was bonked by a rival just after the start, causing his jockey to briefly lose his iron, yet still coasted to a 9 1/2-length victory. Ryan ran him back in the open Smoke Glacken Stakes, where Book’em Danno ran into another unusually talented New Jersey-bred, Sea Streak, and beat him by two lengths. Sea Streak on Jan. 1 finished a close third in the Mucho Macho Man at Gulfstream Park. Book’em Danno’s defeat in the Nashua came at a one-mile distance two furlongs farther than he’d yet raced, but Ryan attributes the defeat more to circumstances than distance limitations. “He ended up on the lead and had to do all the donkey work going a mile. If he was on the outside, he would have won,” Ryan said. Book’em Danno got a brief respite following the Nashua and has posted four timed workouts over the Tampa surface. “He’s done good since we got here, and he worked good. I think he should have no problem with the seven furlongs,” Ryan said. West Saratoga worked once at Tampa after doing most of his Pasco prep work in Kentucky for trainer Larry Demeritte. West Saratoga was precocious enough to begin his career last April at Keeneland but only found himself over the summer when he began running in longer one-turn races. West Saratoga needed five starts to win a maiden race but did so with aplomb going one mile at Ellis Park, a race run at about 1 1/2 turns. He beat the capable miler Risk It winning the one-turn-mile Iroquois at Churchill Downs, but took a step back in his true route debut, the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity, in October at Keeneland. The Pasco offers substantial class relief, but West Saratoga has a tricky draw on the rail, and last year, at least, wasn’t as fast as Book’em Danno. :: Bet the races with a $200 First Deposit Match + FREE All Access PPs! Join DRF Bets. Crazy Mason also began his career at Monmouth but failed to come forward after a sharp restricted maiden win at Saratoga. He did, however, show spark last month in the six-furlong Inaugural at Tampa Bay, where Crazy Mason came under a ride with a half-mile to go but kicked into gear the last three-sixteenths of a mile, going his final furlong in a field-best 12.57 while beaten by the capable Patriot Spirit. Gasparilla Stakes The Pasco’s seven-furlong sister race, the $125,000 Gasparilla, which also includes $75,000 available exclusively to Florida-breds, drew a modest field of eight 3-year-old fillies. There’s not much encouraging form in the race, but 6-5 morning-line favorite Mystic Lake is worth trying to beat. Mystic Lake’s form last year is far stronger than any of her opponents, but after running poorly on dirt in her debut, she excelled racing over Tapeta at Woodbine. She cuts back from two turns to one and has a tough draw in post 1. The problem is identifying reasonable alternatives. Gorgeous Girl was a tame third facing allowance foes last month at Tampa racing for the first time following a three-month layoff, but it’s hard to get excited about that performance. Girvin’s Princess is an unappealing 7-2 on the morning line following wins in a $25,000 maiden-claimer and then while racing under $25,000 starter-allowance conditions. ◗ The $50,000 Wayward Lass, a 1 1/16-mile contest for older fillies and mares, drew just six entrants but still is overloaded with early pace factors. Soul of an Angel and Magical Lute are the two horses who can take advantage of a fast, contested pace, though Magical Lute has far more upside than Soul of an Angel, a winner just twice in a 31-start career. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.