Toupie returns to form in Sensible Lady Turf Dash
No Show Sammy Jo repeats in All Along

LAUREL, MD — In a race full of troubled trips, Had to Have Him enjoyed a nice one under jockey J.G. Torrealba to take Saturday’s Laurel Dash for 3-year-olds and upward at six furlongs, one of three $100,000 stakes races on Laurel Park’s “Turf Festival” program.

Trained by John Salzman Jr. for Gracie Mae Stables and Great Lake Stable, Had to Have Him broke slowly, but Torrealba slowly inched forward to stalk three wide near the back of the pack as Fore Harp and Where’s Ray set fractions of 22.61 and 45.16 seconds.

Had to Have Him advanced three wide on the turn, eased another path wider turning into the long stretch, then rallied down the center of the track to prevail by two lengths over favored Mischievous Angel.

Fierce and Strong, who checked badly and shuffled back entering the turn, ran an excellent third, a head behind the runner-up. Then came Boltage, and Live High Live Low, who was blocked behind a wall of horses along the fence in midstretch.

Great Idea and Where’s Ray dead-heated for sixth place. Full brothers Fore Harp and Smooth B, and Hunter Joe completed the field. Swill and Worcester both scratched.

Had to Have Him completed the distance in 1:09.20 over the firm course, and returned $8.20 to win as the second choice in the wagering.

“Gelding him really made a difference,” said Salzman Jr. “He’s a professional. He handles everything so good. He’s a nice horse to have. When [Torrealba] got him clear, he took off. He’s impressing me every time he runs, this horse.”

Bred in Maryland by Wes Carter, Had to Have Him is a 4-year-old gelding by Force the Pass. He sold for $36,000 as a 2-year-old in training, then was claimed for $20,000 by trainer John Salzman Sr. out of a winning effort in a maiden race on January 12, 2024.

“[My dad] called me about the horse,” Salzman Jr. said. “I really liked [Force the Pass]. We went and looked at [Had to Have Him]. I told [my dad] that it was worth taking the chance, and it paid off.”

Had to Have Him finished third in last year’s Maryland Million Turf Sprint in his final grass run of 2024. Gelded over the winter, he was transferred to Salzman Jr. after his father retired.

Had to Have Him was a visually impressive winner when offered for the $40,000 claiming option in his seasonal debut, an off-turf race on May 31. He then finished a rallying third in the restricted Ben’s Cat Stakes three weeks later, then placed second, beaten a neck, by classy Witty in Colonial’s Van Clief Stakes on August 9.

“We found that spacing him out, where we give him a month between races, really helps him,” Salzman Jr. said.

Salzman Jr. mentioned that Had to Have Him will next race in the $100,000 Maryland Million Turf Sprint at 5 ½ furlongs on October 11 at Laurel Park.

*Toupie returns to form in Sensible Lady Turf Dash

Toupie was her usual ornery self in the paddock before the Sensible Lady Turf Dash for fillies and mares at six furlongs.

She wore a hood, was saddled on the walk, and stubbornly refused to allow her assistant trainers to remove the bell boot on her right fore.

“The rule with Toupie is don’t make her mad,” said assistant trainer Cat McGee. “She’ll tell you what she wants. You just have to listen to her.”

“I was actually tickled with how good she was today,” said McGee’s husband, fellow assistant trainer Ian Wilson. “Like Cat said, it’s her way or the highway. You just got to work around her. On the track, she seemed pretty relaxed about everything.”

Jockey Daniel Centeno had no issues getting along with Toupie. They raced in midpack while longshot Sally’s Gold sprinted out to a lonely lead through splits of 22.57 and 44.99 seconds.

Centeno cut the corner into the straight, and Toupie always moved well. They eased outside the pacesetter, split rivals with a decisive bid, and went about their business to score by 1 ¼ lengths over a determined Lifelovenlaughter in 1:08.63.

Defending champion Loon Cry rallied for third, and was followed by Flamingo Way, Alla Breve, Sally’s Gold, The Amazing Mizzen, Twirling Beauty, and Anaita. Discreet Ops, Fiona’s Magic, Queen of the Mud, and Rileys Redemption scratched.

“Once she got to the track, she behaved better,” Centeno said. “She relaxed perfect. Turning for home, I saw the hole, and she went through. I knew that [Lifelovenlaughter] was the horse I had to beat. I followed her the entire way to see what she wanted to do. When he moved out, my filly saw the room and she went through like nothing. When she switched [leads], she just exploded.”

Toupie is a homebred owned by Wertheimer and Frere. A 4-year-old filly by Uncle Mo from the family of Belmont Stakes winner Empire Maker, she is trained by Graham Motion, and has won six of 15 starts for $450,805 in earnings.

Motion mentioned earlier in the week that the Sensible Lady Turf Dash might be Toupie’s final start, but Wilson and McGee both indicated the owners will make a final decision in the upcoming days and weeks.

*No Show Sammy Jo repeats in All Along

While Toupie can be obstreperous, No Show Sammy Jo is a sweetheart, and she showed class and determination to successfully defend her title in the All Along Stakes for fillies and mares at 1 1/8 miles.

“Sammy is a consummate professional,” Wilson said. "She doesn’t turn a hair. She’s right in the first stall when you walk in the barn, and she’s just hanging out all day. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her take a foot wrong. She’s just a lovely mare to be around.”

Ridden by Jorge Ruiz, No Show Sammy Jo relaxed in third position entering the backstretch as Cut From Class opened up a lengthy lead.

Cut From Class carved out reasonable fractions of 24.94, 50.30, and 1:14.75 before being confronted by No Show Sammy Jo’s uncoupled stablemate Sirona.

Sirona surged to the front and fought valiantly to the wire, but No Show Sammy Jo had outside momentum. At the wire, it was No Show Sammy Jo by a nose in 1:49.87. Venomous Vixen finished another 1 ¼ lengths behind in third. Then came For Arrogate, Cut From Class, and Chick’s Shadow. Mopo scratched.

No Show Sammy Jo completed a natural stakes double for Motion, and returned $2.80 as the prohibitive betting favorite.

“She got a great ride from Jorge,” Wilson said. “It just set up really well for her. They went pretty slow up front. She was a bit more forwardly placed today than she tends to be. That was her issue last year.”

Sirona, a stakes-winner in England and in her native Germany, made her North American debut in the All Along. She didn’t break the best, but advanced to settle in second position, and fought the winner tooth and nail.

“I thought Sirona ran great [considering] it was her first time out here, and that we haven’t had her that long,” McGee said. “She’s really been so professional. When Graham asked about running her, I told him to go for it. She’s really athletic. She’s really speedy. We haven’t even quite figured her out yet.”

No Show Sammy Jo was unplaced in two Grade 1 races during the spring before racing at longer distances earlier in the summer.

“She’s been a little disappointing this year for me,” Motion said this week. “I thought she was one of my best mares going into the season. This seems like a more reasonable spot to get her back on track.”

Bred in England by Fittocks Stud and St Albans Bloodstock, No Show Sammy Jo is a 5-year-old mare by Lope de Vega. She was purchased for approximately $214,000 overseas as a yearling by Bridlewood Farm and Madaket Stable.

Grade 3-placed last year, No Show Sammy Jo boasts a record of five wins from 11 starts for $375,050 in earnings.