The $400,000 True North Stakes (G3) features a pair of grade 1 winners who enter the June 6 contest as heavy favorites at Saratoga Race Course.
Book'em Danno has been all class in his 17-race career, having failed to hit the board just twice. His last time out, he missed out by a neck on what would have been a career-best four consecutive wins, in the Carter Stakes (G2).
That win streak, snapped by Point Dume, started, ironically, in last year's 6 1/2-furlong True North.
The 2025 champion male sprinter has shown an affinity for running at the Spa with four wins from five starts, including a perfect 3-for-3 last year with triumphs in the True North, Alfred G. Vanderbilt Stakes (G2), and Forego Stakes (G1).
"He likes that track. He seems to like the summer air up there," trainer Derek Ryan said. "I didn't think we'd be running him in all three last summer; it just worked out that way. The Vanderbilt was definitely his best effort of the year by far. He ran a big race and he's coming back good again this year."
The New Jersey-bred Bucchero gelding is the morning-line second choice at 2-1 and will face a daunting challenge from Bentornato, winner of last year's Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1).
Favored at 8-5, the True North is the Valiant Minister ridgling's first start since returning to the United States following his second-place finish in the Dubai Golden Shaheen (G1), hitting the wire 1 3/4 lengths short of victory.
"We gave him 60 days after Breeders' Cup, so it was very impressive how he came off the layoff in that race. I know he needed that race," trainer Jose D'Angelo said. "Also, we broke inside horses and he was fourth or fifth and then later making his move."
The 5-year-old, who was also the runner-up to Book'em Danno for the Eclipse Award for top male sprinter, has hit the board in all 12 of his starts.
"We always gave him time. His campaign has some gaps in between—these are minor things—but we gave him time and right now he's running at his peak," D'Angelo said.
The Bob Baffert-trained Imagination, who was second to Bentornato at the Breeders' Cup, enters with 4-1 odds. His year began with a victory in the Riyadh Dirt Sprint (G2) at King Abdulaziz Racecourse and a fourth-place effort in the Churchill Downs Stakes (G1).
As he proved by rallying late in Saudi Arabia, Imagination doesn't need to set the pace.
"He came out of that really well and he's training well," Baffert said. "He's a come-from-behind sprinter-type horse. He's doing really well. We're looking forward to it."
Saturday's race field includes grade 3-placed Acoustic Ave; grade 1-placed Be You; Maryland Sprint Stakes (G3) second Faust; Illuminare, who is 2-for-2 this year; San Carlos Stakes (G3) runner-up Listenupshance; and grade 3-placed Pentathlon.
Saratoga Race Course, Saturday, June 6, 2026, Race 8Entries: True North S. (G3)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Acoustic Ave (NY) Jose Lezcano 120 Linda Rice 30/1 2 2Imagination (KY) Flavien Prat 124 Bob Baffert 4/1 3 3Bentornato (FL) Irad Ortiz, Jr. 124 Jose Francisco D'Angelo 8/5 4 4Listenupshance (KY) Antonio Fresu 120 Doug F. O'Neill 30/1 5 5Faust (KY) Jose L. Ortiz 120 Steven M. Asmussen 15/1 6 6Book'em Danno (NJ) Paco Lopez 124 Derek S. Ryan 2/1 7 7Be You (KY) John R. Velazquez 122 Todd A. Pletcher 12/1 8 8Illuminare (KY) Manuel Franco 120 Todd A. Pletcher 10/1 9 9Pentathlon (KY) Dylan Davis 122 Claude R. McGaughey III 12/1
