Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association of New Jersey
Karen M. Johnson, BloodHorse
Bringing additional oomph to the April 4 card at Aqueduct Racetrack, which will host the Wood Memorial Stakes (G2) for the final time before the track closes its doors forever this summer, is the eagerly anticipated return of last year's champion male sprinter, Book'em Danno , in the Carter Stakes (G2).
The 7-furlong dirt race drew a field of just six, with one of the entrants, Quint's Brew , expected to run instead in the Frank Y. Whiteley Stakes the same day at Laurel Park. As of April 1, the other cross-entered horses, Acoustic Ave , Be You , and Point Dume , were anticipated to run in the $300,000 Carter, according to the New York Racing Association's press office. Be You's trainer, Todd Pletcher, confirmed with BloodHorse his intention to run in New York rather than at Keeneland in Saturday's Commonwealth Stakes (G3).
Atlantic Six Racing's Book'em Danno was last seen winning the Aug. 23 Forego Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course as part of a strong 2025 campaign that saw the 5-year-old son of Bucchero , who is trained by Derek Ryan, win four of five starts while earning his third consecutive New Jersey-bred Horse of the Year title.
"The break has done him the world of good. He's bigger and stronger. He's developed into a big horse. He's training better this year than last," Ryan said of the gelding who won the off-the-turf Futurity Stakes at Aqueduct in 2023.
In addition to the Forego, Book'em Danno, an eight-time stakes winner, won two other stakes last year at Saratoga: the Alfred G. Vanderbilt Stakes (G2) and True North Stakes (G3).
Book'em Danno, whose style is to sit just off the pace, breaks from post 2 under Paco Lopez, who rode him in each of his starts last year.
The undefeated and lightly raced Rated by Merit , trained by Chad Brown, looms as an intriguing Carter contender. The Florida-bred son of Battalion Runner is a St. Elias Stable homebred and will be making his graded stakes debut in the Carter, which marks his first start as a 4-year-old.
Rated by Merit, who will be ridden by Manny Franco from post 5, has plenty of early speed and figures to be prominent in the early running.
To Book'em Danno's inside is Laurel Park shipper Point Dume, a front-runner and the winner of his last two starts, including the General George Stakes.
Repole's Stable's Be You, a grade 1-placed runner, seeks his first graded victory after taking the Toboggan Stakes at Aqueduct in his most recent start. The Curlin gelding has an affinity for the Big A as well as the Carter distance.
Linda Rice, who is winning at 25% on the year, trains Acoustic Ave, a New York-bred warrior with earnings just shy of $800,000 and a record of 9-7-6 in 30 starts.