No Show Sammy Jo defends All Along title
Full brothers clash in Laurel Dash
Toupie looks to rebound in Sensible Lady Turf Dash

LAUREL, MD — No Show Sammy Jo defends her title in Saturday’s All Along for fillies and mares at 1 1/8 miles.

The All Along is part of Laurel Park’s Fall Turf Festival, a nine-race program featuring three $100,000 stakes on grass. The first post time is 12:10 pm ET, and there is a low 12% takeout rate on both “Value Pick 5” wagers. The “Value Pick 5” sequences are the first five races and the last five races. Both bets boast carryover potential.

No Show Sammy Jo earned her fourth consecutive victory when winning last year’s All Along, and she then concluded her successful 2024 campaign with a second-place finish, beaten a nose, in Aqueduct’s Grade 3 Long Island Stakes on November 10.

Trainer Graham Motion was aggressive with No Show Sammy Jo this year, racing her in a pair of Grade 1 stakes before trying longer-distance races for her last two starts. The 5-year-old mare, owned by Bridlewood Farm and Madaket Stables, finished fourth in Saratoga’s Grade 2 Glens Falls Stakes at 1 ½ miles on July 27.

"She's been a little disappointing this year for me," Motion admitted. "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. I think the 1 1/8-mile distance [helps]."

Installed as the 9-5 morning line favorite by Horse Racing Nation’s Ed DeRosa, No Show Sammy Jo breezed a strong five-eighths at Fair Hill on September 5. Working inside Heredia, the recent gate-to-wire winner of Del Mar’s Grade 2 Yellow Ribbon Handicap, No Show Sammy Jo finished a neck in front of her mate, and galloped out several lengths in front.

Motion also unveils Jayne McGivern’s Sirona, a German-bred mare making her North American debut. Sirona has won stakes races in Germany and England. She finished sixth in a tough edition of Epsom’s Group 3 Princess Elizabeth Stakes on June 7.

“You’d think [nine furlongs] would be a distance that’s within her scope,” Motion said. “I haven’t done that much with her since she came to me. Coming into the fall, we only have so many chances to run, so I wanted to get a chance to get her started. This seemed like a really good spot to try.”

Steven Keil and Caitlin Keil’s Cut From Class is thrice stakes-placed, including a third-place finish in her most recent start, the restricted All Brandy Stakes at Colonial on August 16. Trained by Caitlin Keil, Cut From Class, a $10,000 yearling purchase, has earned $195,858.

Chick’s Shadow, a multiple stakes-placed performer over Gulfstream’s Tapeta surface, drops in class after finishing last of six in Colonial’s Grade 2 Beverly D. Stakes on August 9.

Mopo, Venemous Vixen, and For Arrogate complete the field.

French-bred filly All Along was the first foreign-based horse to be voted Horse of the Year in the United States. During a magical span of 41 days in 1983, All Along captured the Group 1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp, the Grade 1 Rothmans International at Woodbine, the Grade 1 Turf Classic at Aqueduct, and the Grade 1 Washington D.C. International at Laurel Park.

All Along was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 1990.

*Full brothers clash in Laurel Dash

Trainer Butch Reid entered two classy full brothers in the Laurel Dash for 3-year-olds and upward at six furlongs.

The Laurel Dash returns to the stakes schedule following a one-year absence. Fore Harp, a 7-year-old son of Weigelia out of Katarica Disco, by Disco Rico, notched the most recent edition of the race, winning the 2023 edition by two lengths in gate-to-wire fashion.

After failing to reach the winner’s circle from seven tries last year, Fore Harp has returned to his best form in 2025. He wired the field in Laurel’s King T. Leatherbury Stakes on April 19, and won his most recent start, the Marshall Jenney Stakes for Pennsylvania-breds at Penn National on August 15.

“He got away a little slowly,” Reid said about the Marshall Jenney. “Frankie [Pennington] did a nice job. He didn’t panic on him and let him get himself back together. It might have been the first time he actually passed a horse in a race. It was a nice new dimension for him. I was glad to see it.”

At 10 years old, Smooth B is Fore Harp’s older sibling. A 13-time winner with earnings over $1 million, Smooth B is a multiple stakes-winner on dirt. Although winless from 17 prior tries on turf, Smooth B has run some big races on the grass, including a second-place effort in Parx’s Grade 3 Turf Monster Stakes in 2023. Fore Harp finished a late-rallying third in the Marshall Jenney.

“He’s the team mascot,” Reid said proudly. “He loves what he does. He goes out there and mentors his little brother a little bit. He really came flying last time. About another two jumps, and I think he would have gotten by Fore Harp. The three-quarter distance is fine with him. I expect him to give a good account of himself as well.”

Fore Harp and Smooth B aren’t the only two quality horses out of Katarica Disco, who has also foaled multiple stakes-winner Disco Ebo, stakes-winner Fat Kat, Grade 2-placed Disco Rose, and stakes-placed Pink Princess. Weigelia sired all of those runners.

Had to Have Him, third in last year’s Maryland Million Turf Sprint, has taken his game to another level since being gelded over the winter. The 4-year-old won his seasonal debut on dirt, finished third in Laurel’s restricted Ben’s Cat Stakes on June 21, then placed a close second in Colonial’s Van Clief Stakes on August 9.

“The gelding stuff really did help him, I guess,” said trainer John Salzman Jr. “He just matured a little bit, and he’s really come around. He’s run some huge numbers for us. We’re working our way to the Maryland Million. That’s the goal.”

Had to Have Him worked a bullet five-eighths at Laurel on August 30.

“He does it real easy,” Salzman Jr. said. “I’m not a big work guy. I don’t like horses working fast. I try to slow them down as much as I can. We found that giving him a little more time between races really helps him. He lets us know when he’s ready to do something. He gets to bucking and kicking and squealing.”

Mischievous Angel finished fourth in Saratoga’s Harvey Pack Stakes at 5 ½ furlongs on July 4.

“He’s just probably not quick enough for 5 ½ [furlongs],” trainer Jorge Abreu said. “He came up with a good run that day. I was pretty pleased.”

Earlier this year, Mischievous Angel finished second in the one-mile Henry S. Clark Stakes at Laurel Park.

“I think his best distance is from three-quarters to seven-eighths,” Abreu mentioned. “He’s training really well. I’m looking forward to a good performance.”

Abreu would like jockey Vincent Cheminaud to have Mischievous Angel in “midpack and come up with a run. I don’t think he’s a horse that you can give him too much to do.”

Live High Live Low, the 7-2 favorite on DeRosa’s line, won his seasonal debut, a $30,000 starter allowance at Monmouth on August 2. Trained by George Weaver for Reddam Racing, Live High Live Low finished second sprinting on turf in last fall's Carle Place Stakes at Aqueduct.

Multiple stakes-winner Fierce and Strong, stakes-winner Swill, multiple stakes-placed Great Idea, stakes-placed Hunter Joe, and Where’s Ray complete the lineup.

Grade 3-placed Boltage is on the Also Eligible list. Stakes-winner Worcester runs Main Track Only.

*Toupie looks to rebound in Sensible Lady Turf Dash

Grade 3 winner Toupie looks to rebound in the Sensible Lady Turf Dash for fillies and mares at six furlongs.

A homebred 4-year-old filly by Uncle Mo, Toupie, the 2-1 morning line favorite, is owned by Wertheimer and Frere. She finished seventh in her most recent start, Saratoga’s Grade 3 Caress at 5 ½ furlongs on July 19.

"What I really like is the six furlongs,” trainer Motion said about the Sensible Lady Turf Dash. “I think 5 1/2 is a little quick for her, to be honest. This is probably going to be her last start before she goes to be a mom, so I wanted to pick a nice spot to go out in.”

Motion also trains Queen of the Mud, who finished second in last year’s Sensible Lady Turf Dash before completing her 2024 campaign with a popular win in Santa Anita’s restricted Swingtime Stakes.

A 5-year-old mare by Kodiac, Queen of the Mud earned a Grade 3-placing in her first run of the season, but was off the board in her two subsequent starts, including an eighth-place effort last month in Woodbine’s Sweet Briar Too Stakes.

“She was very sharp [out of the gate],” Motion admitted. “I’m not sure it really suited her up there like I thought it would. I’m just really trying to get her back on track, back to her old form.”

Queen of the Mud completed her preparations for Saturday’s race with a half-mile breeze in company with unbeaten 3-year-old filly Laurelin at Fair Hill on September 6.

Loon Cry completed a hat trick last summer when rallying from well off the pace to win the Sensible Lady Turf Dash. Trained by Miguel Clement for Waterville Lake Stables, the New York-bred mare by More Than Ready finished sixth in the Sweet Briar Too last month.

Fiona’s Magic wired the field in the Grade 2 Davona Dale Stakes on dirt last year. She’s made three starts for new trainer Ned Allard after returning from a long layoff, and finished second in a restricted allowance event at Penn National on August 22.

Lifelovenlaughter seeks her fourth consecutive win for Stuart Grant’s The Elkstone Group and trainer Michael Trombetta. The versatile Maryland-bred mare by Lemon Drop Kid utilized pace-prompting tactics to prevail in Laurel’s restricted Jameela Stakes at six furlongs on June 21, and Colonial’s restricted All Brandy Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on August 16.

“We took her down to Gulfstream [last season], and she seemed to struggle a little bit there,” Trombetta said. “The races were either too short or too far. There was always something. Thank goodness that we decided to get another season in her. She’s made it worthwhile.”

Stakes-winners Discreet Ops and Alla Breve, stakes-placed Flamingo Way, Sally’s Gold, and Anaita also entered.

Twirling Beauty, The Amazing Mizzen, and Rileys Redemption are on the Also Eligible list.

Sensible Lady was a top turf sprinter, winning 9 of 22 starts, including consecutive editions of Pimlico’s The Very One Stakes.