OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Book’em Danno, the champion sprinter of 2025, returns from a layoff of more than seven months in Saturday’s Grade 2, $300,000 Carter Stakes at Aqueduct. Though he’ll meet just four rivals in the seven-furlong race, it is no easy spot. Among his rivals in the Carter are Rated by Merit, unbeaten in five career starts but who has only raced once in 16 months, and Point Dume, who comes in off a solid victory in the General George at Laurel Park. Book’em Danno, who hasn’t raced since winning the Grade 1 Forego at Saratoga last Aug. 23, comes into the Carter about 90 percent ready, according to trainer Derek Ryan. “It’s a horse race. Every horse in there is a nice horse,” Ryan said. “He’s going to have to run his race, but there’ll definitely be room for improvement.” :: Access the most trusted data and information in horse racing! DRF Past Performances and Picks are available now. The Forego was the last of a five-race 2025 campaign that saw Book’em Danno win a minor stakes at Colonial; run fourth, beaten a neck by Mindframe in the Grade 1 Churchill Downs; then win the Grade 3 True North and Grade 2 Alfred G. Vanderbilt at Saratoga. Ryan said Book’em Danno “needed a break” after the Forego and was turned out for several months. “Wear and tear,” Ryan said. “His last race, even though he won it, it wasn’t his best race.” Ryan said he has seen a different version of Book’em Danno since he came back to him at the beginning of the year. “You hate to say it – he’s actually training better, he’s moving better,” Ryan said. “Now he’s 5 years old, he’s bigger, he’s taller, he’s stronger.” Ryan plans a limited four-race campaign for Book’em Danno in 2026. After the Carter, he will look to run in the Grade 3 True North at Saratoga on June 6, the Grade 1 Forego on Aug. 29, and the Breeders’ Cup Sprint in late October. Ryan said that schedule could change, but those are the races he would like to make. Paco Lopez, who won three races on Wednesday at Tampa Bay Downs in his return to the saddle following a broken ankle that sidelined him for two months, rides Book’em Danno from post 2. “I’ll just tell Paco, make sure you make your move on the outside, don’t want to you see you on the rail,” Ryan said. “I hate that.” Rated by Merit went 4 for 4 as a 2-year-old for Michael Yates before having to go to the sidelines early in his 3-year-old season. Transferred to Chad Brown, Rated by Merit won the Discovery on Oct. 4 and was pointing to the Dwyer on Nov. 8 when he got sick and was not entered. “He’s a super, super talented horse. You can see he’s a little quirky the way he cocks his head and tries to bear out a bit, but he’s fast and he’s talented,” Brown said. “You can see the gaps in his form. You got to keep him healthy. I like this spot for a comeback race, though he has a tough foe in there I don’t think he needs a big, messy field.” Point Dume was a front-running winner of the General George and will likely to try show speed again from the rail on Saturday under Angel Cruz. Acoustic Ave, fourth in the Tom Fool, was scratched from an allowance race on Thursday for this spot. Be You was a sharp winner of the Toboggan. Though cross-entered in Saturday’s Commonwealth at Keeneland, he will run here. Quint’s Brew, beaten a neck in last year’s Carter, will scratch to run in the Frank Whiteley Stakes at Laurel on Saturday. :: Get the Inside Track with the FREE DRF Morning Line Email Newsletter. Subscribe now.  Excelsior Otello ran into a monster, at least on the day, when he was beaten 13 3/4 lengths by Batten Down in the Pig Trail Stakes at Oaklawn Park on March 1. No such standout seems to be enlisted in Saturday’s $150,000, 1 1/4-mile Excelsior Stakes, the first of five stakes on Saturday’s card. Otello tried to run with Batten Down in the Pig Trail, but that other one was simply better and faster. Also, Otello was coming back 15 days after a strong allowance win in the slop at Oaklawn. “He acts like a horse who’s one-paced, has a good cruising speed, and can sustain it,” trainer Rob Atras said. “I don’t think the distance should be any problem.” Otello has two wins from three starts at Aqueduct, including an allowance victory at 1 3/16 miles last April 3. Ramon Vazquez rides. Trainer Whit Beckman believes Stowaway was too far back when he finished second to Digital Ops in an overnight handicap run in the snow at Colonial Downs on March 12. “The mile and a quarter will be no problem for him,” trainer Whit Beckman said. “Aqueduct is exactly what he wants. I’m coming back a little quick with him. That’s a little bit of a concern.” Yo Daddy has run well at 1 1/8 miles and was second, albeit beaten 8 1/2 lengths by Parchment Party, in the off-the-turf, 1 3/4-mile Belmont Gold Cup last June. Classicist, second to Yo Daddy in a Feb. 4 allowance at 1 1/8 miles, Omaha Omaha, and Interceptor complete the field. Over and Ollie was expected to scratch to run in a stakes at Laurel on Saturday. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.