Englishman, Book'em Danno prep for BC Sprint in separate Saratoga features

Englishman and Book’em Danno are on a collision course for the Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) at Keeneland on Oct. 31, but in the meantime will be prepping in separate seven-furlong stakes at Saratoga on Saturday.

A dazzling winner of the Woody Stephens (G1) by 5 3/4 lengths on June 6, Englishman faces a small but select field of six three-year-olds in the $500,000 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial (G1). Later in the card, Book’em Danno will defend his title in the $500,000 Forego (G1). Provided they both win, a clue as to who might go favored in the six-furlong Sprint might boil down to who runs their race faster.

Englishman will have to contend with a couple lightly raced foes who have made some noise this summer. Deep Flame, a Juddmonte homebred, looked sharp taking the Maxfield (G3) at Churchill Downs in late June, while Local Knowledge prevailed in the Amsterdam (G2) last month after a stretch-long duel with Solitude Dude.

“It was a gutsy effort [in the Amsterdam] in only his third start,” trainer Pletcher said of Local Knowledge. “He was coming out of that crazy allowance race where four horses came back to win stakes in their next start.”

The reigning champion sprinter, Book’em Danno has won five of six at Saratoga and enters the Forego on a two-race win streak encompassing the True North (G3) and Mr. Prospector S. at Monmouth Park. Among his seven rivals are stakes newcomer Senior Officer and Grade 3 winner Tip Top Thomas, who were separated by a neck in a 6 1/2-furlong allowance at Saratoga on July 26.

The winner of the Forego will receive an automatic bid to the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1), but Book’em Danno’s connections have pegged the Sprint as the five-year-old’s primary focus this fall.

Like Book’em Danno, Ways and Means has a stellar 5-for-6 record at Saratoga. However, the Chad Brown-trained mare will need to be close to her very vest in the $500,000 Ballerina (G1), a seven-furlong Breeders’ Cup Challenge prep for the Filly & Mare Sprint (G1).

Unraced since a nail-biting success in the Bed o’ Roses (G2) on June 5, Ways and Means will face 11 others, several of whom with strong credentials. Among them is Eclatant, whose wins this season include the Madison (G1) and Chicago (G2).

R Disaster upset Ways and Means in the Derby City Distaff (G1) back in May, while 2025 Test (G1) heroine Kilwin, Honorable Miss (G2) winner Maida, and 2025 Victory Ride (G3) vixen Echo Sound all return to the scene of their career peaks.

“The plan was to always give her a break [after the Derby City Distaff] and then go to the Honorable Miss and the Ballerina, but we got a little setback and had to miss the Honorable Miss and it put us a little behind schedule,” trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said of R Disaster.

Without the presence of the country’s leading older mare Nitrogen, the $500,000 Personal Ensign (G1) instead serves as a rematch among the top three finishers from the July 24 Shuvee (G2).

Fully Subscribed wore down Scottish Lassie to win the Shuvee by a half-length, with Snowtye 4 3/4 lengths behind in third after setting the pace. Grade 2 veteran Margie’s Intention, distantly placed to Nitrogen in the Alabama (G1) at the Spa last summer, is also among the field of six that will travel 1 1/8 miles.

The winner of the Personal Ensign will receive an automatic bid to the Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1).

The $400,000 Lake Placid (G2), a one-mile grass test for three-year-old fillies, might continue to be dominated by Chad Brown, who has won the race six times since 2018. 

Brown will saddle Grade 1-placed stakes winner Deep Learning, second in the Aug. 1 Lake George (G3) in her belated season debut, and the recently imported Naomis, who posted an upset in the Prix de Sandringham (G2) at Chantilly in late May.

Queen of Hawaii, a Group 3 winner in Ireland last summer, returned to action on July 9 and narrowly posted a second-level allowance score over older rivals.