LAUREL, Md. – Canessar turned in a professional effort to win his United States debut by 1 1/4 lengths Saturday in the $100,000 Laurel Turf Cup. He may be headed to Keeneland for his next start. Canessar arrived at trainer Arnaud Delacour's stable at Fair Hill on Aug. 10. Delacour was pleased with his training, but wasn't sure what to expect first time out. "He's a nice horse and he did everything we asked of him in the morning," Delacour said. "But you never know how they will adapt to racing in the U.S." Canessar, with jockey Feargal Lynch aboard, rated inside of horses on the backstretch, angled four wide into the stretch, and then closed well to defeat 2-1 favorite Infinite Wisdom by 1 1/4 lengths. Infinite Wisdom broke on top in the 1 1/2-mile race but rated nicely when Renown, who broke a step slow, rushed up to take the lead. Renown opened up on the field by six or seven lengths, but was outfinished in the stretch and had to settle for third, 2 1/4 lengths behind Infinite Wisdom. Canessar, a 4-year-old gelding who was bred in France, paid $8.40 in the Turf Cup. He completed the distance over firm turf in 2:25.23. Delacour said he put Canessar on Lasix for the Turf Cup because he had a history of bleeding in Europe. "Nothing major, but we thought the Lasix would help him," Delacour said. Delacour said that Canessar could run next in the Grade 3, $100,000 Sycamore Stakes at Keeneland, a 1 1/2-mile turf race on Oct. 19. "We thought the timing of this race would work well for the Keeneland race," Delacour said. Laurel Futurity: Therapist gets up despite bad behavior Therapist made several mistakes before and during the $100,000 Laurel Futurity, but still was able to get up in deep stretch of the six-furlong turf race and defeat Stroll Smokin by a head. Therapist broke through the gate before the start of the Futurity, unseating jockey Daniel Centeno. He then showed last from the gate in the field of nine. Therapist was rallying in the stretch when he lugged in a bit and had to be straightened by Centeno. He then surged late to collar Stroll Smokin in the shadow of the wire. Therapist, who is trained by Christophe Clement, paid $7.40 and was timed in 1:09.50. Stroll Smokin set the pace inside of Shane's Jewel, drew clear in the stretch and just missed. It was 1 1/2 lengths back to 4-5 favorite Majestic Dunhill in third. Therapist, a New York-bred son of Freud, is now 2 for 2. he closed stoutly to win a statebred maiden race at Belmont Park on July 2. He is owned and was bred by Oak Bluff Stables. Sensible Lady Turf Dash: Always Thinking pays $52 Jockey Edgar Prado saved ground on the far turn of the Sensible Lady Turf Dash with longshot Always Thinking, wheeled her well out into the course for the stretch drive, and she finished with a good run to win the six-furlong race by 1 1/2 lengths. Always Thinking is owned by Godolphin and based at Belmont Park with trainer Tom Albertrani. She paid $52 to win in the nine-horse field. Always Thinking was timed in 1:07.68, more than a second faster than her male counterparts went over the same course two races earlier in the Laurel Dash. Snowday won the Laurel Dash in 1:09.02. Miss Ella was sent off at 4-5 in the Sensible Lady. She never reached serious contention and finished seventh. Miss Ella had $78,278 of the $101,150 show pool wagered on her, resulting in inflated payoffs on the top three finishers. Always Thinking paid $37.60 to show, 3-1 runner-up Fire Key paid $9.40 to show, and Rocky Policy paid $21.20. Always Thinking, a 4-year-old daughter of Street Sense, is now 3 for 12 in her career. The Sensible Lady was her first stakes win.