BOOK’EM DANNO SET TO TAKE ON EIGHT RIVALS ON FRIDAY

By Tom Luicci —-

Book’em Danno gallops on the track at Monmouth Park Racetrack in Oceanport, NJ. on Sunday morning July 12, 2026 with exercise rider Danny Marroqin as he prepares to compete at his home track in the Mr. Prospector Stakes on Friday July 17th. Photo By Bill Denver/EQUI-PHOTO

OCEANPORT, N.J. – Book’em Danno won’t lack for company when he returns “home” to Monmouth Park on Friday.

The two-time Grade 1 winner, the richest Jersey-bred of all-time, will face eight rivals in the 21st running of the $200,000 Mr. Prospector Stakes, the feature on the eight-race card that day.

To celebrate and commemorate the Eclipse Award 2025 Champion Male Sprinter, Monmouth Park is giving away Book’em Danno t-shirts to the first 2,000 paid admission and replays of his biggest wins will be shown throughout the day between races.

As a nod to his Monmouth County-based ownership group Atlantic Six, there will be free admission for all Oceanport residents.

Trained by Derek Ryan, with Paco Lopez scheduled to ride, Book’em Danno comes into Friday off a win in the Grade 3 True North at Saratoga on June. 6. He is 3-for-3 lifetime at Monmouth Park, breaking his maiden there at first asking on Aug. 1, 2023 before going on to win the Smoke Glacken Stakes and the Jersey Shore Stakes at the track.

Book’em Danno has 11 wins from 18 career starts, nine stakes victories and five graded stakes wins. His Grade 1 wins came in the Forego and the Woody Stephens.

The 5-year-old gelding has career earnings of $2,135,425.

The field for the six-furlong Mr. Prospector Stakes from the rail out: Silver Slugger, Quint’s Brew, Book’em Danno, Go Irish, Durante, Banishing, Boardwalk Jack, Doroteo and Full Moon Madness.

Under the conditions of the Mr. Prospector Stakes, the purse is doubled from $100,000 if a multiple Grade 1 winner starts in the race.

First race post time on Friday is 2 p.m.