Trainer Steve Asmussen sees some similarities between Booked and the 2-year-old colt's sire Yaupon .
"His demeanor reminds me of Yaupon," said Asmussen, who trained the grade 1-winning sprinter. "Yaupon was an extremely fast horse that was unbelievably lazy. It was an odd combination. You worried about how quiet he was all of the time. But he was extremely talented and they have a very similar personality and they both have a lot of speed."
That speed was quite evident July 4 as Booked grabbed the lead shortly after the start under Ricardo Santana Jr. and never looked back, powering to a 6-length win in the $225,000 Sanford Stakes (G3) for 2-year-olds at Saratoga Race Course.
"This horse has nice talent. Ricardo did a great job away from there from the inside," said Asmussen, whose speedy juvenile broke from the rail in a field of six. "It looked like he was traveling nicely in the middle. He's a big colt with a lot of size. I think he'll start finishing his races off better as he matures."
Owned by Jackpot Farm, Alvin Fults, Jason Itkin, and Michael Smith, the Yaupon colt was second in his career debut at Churchill Downs and then posted a 1 3/4-length victory at the Spa during Belmont Stakes (G1) week.
Asmussen kept Booked at Saratoga to point for the Sanford and he believes that continuity played a big role in Saturday's firecracker of a performance.
"It was comfortable for him, winning here and being able to stay here," he said about the colt bred by Peace Of Heaven Thoroughbreds out of the Competitive Edge mare Fingerprint.
Booked ($4.74), the 6-5 favorite, dueled with 5-2 second choice Pocket Listing through a half-mile in :45.64 before putting that pursuer away. He spurted clear to a 5-length lead in midstretch and covered the 6 furlongs in 1:11.24.
Blue Crevalle Racing and Quintessential Racing Florida's Vissino rallied from fifth to take second for trainer Mark Casse. The son of Preservationist was 10 1/2 lengths ahead of third-place finisher Goodbye to Romance, a Complexity colt owned by Pure Bred Funding and trained by Jena Antonucci.
Asmussen said the $325,000 buy at the 2025 Keeneland September Yearling Sale would return in the Aug. 1 Saratoga Special Stakes (G2) at the Spa.
"He has a quiet demeanor," Asmussen said. "He doesn't do much in the morning, so he'll need races."
A half brother to the stakes-placed Zadorsky, Booked is the fourth of five foals from Fingerprint and her first stakes winner. She also has a yearling Two Phil's filly. He joins Albus to be Yaupon's second graded stakes winner on the year. The leading second-crop sire stood the 2026 breeding season at Spendthrift Farm for $60,000.
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