Lopez to ride Book'em Danno in April 4 return
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Book’em Danno, the champion sprinter of 2025, will make his return to the races in the Grade 2, $300,000 Carter Stakes at Aqueduct on April 4. His regular rider, Paco Lopez, will be in the saddle, trainer Derek Ryan said Friday.
Book’em Danno was scheduled to leave Tampa Bay Downs by van for Belmont Park on Saturday, Ryan said. On Friday at Tampa Bay Downs, Book’em Danno blew out three furlongs in 37 seconds from the gate with Lopez aboard.
“I took him to the gate because he hadn’t been there since he ran,” Ryan said.
Ryan’s only concern about the Carter is potentially running over a wet track.
“He’s not the same in the slop as he is on a good track,” Ryan said.
Ryan said he did not plan to cross-enter Book’em Danno in the Grade 3 Commonwealth Stakes at Keeneland the same day.
Ryan said he is glad to have Lopez back to ride Book’em Danno. Lopez was aboard the gelding for all five starts in 2025, four of which were wins.
Lopez, who suffered a broken ankle on Feb. 7 at Fair Grounds, worked about seven horses Friday morning at Tampa, according to Ryan. Lopez was named to ride all nine races Wednesday at Tampa.
Wednesday will mark Lopez’s first appearance at a track regulated by the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority since last September. Lopez was suspended six months by HISA for striking a horse in the head and upper neck at Parx on Dec. 4, 2024.
During his suspension, which is now expired, Lopez rode at Fair Grounds, a Louisiana track that does not operate under HISA rules. Before his injury, Lopez rode 45 winners from 269 mounts and finished fourth in the jockey standings there. Prior to riding at Fair Grounds, Lopez rode seven winners from 25 mounts at Delta Downs.
Following Wednesday at Tampa, Lopez will ride at Aqueduct on April 4, including Napoleon Solo in the Grade 2 Wood Memorial, according to Lopez’s agent Jose Garcia. Aside from April 4 and a trip to Oaklawn Park on April 11, Lopez will ride at Tampa on Wednesdays and Gulfstream Park Thursdays through Sundays next month.
Lopez will then ride at Monmouth Park and other Mid-Atlantic tracks from May 9 up until the opening of the summer meet at Colonial Downs, where he will be based beginning June 25, Garcia said.
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