No Show Sammy Jo returns to winner's circle in Via Borghese victory

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - At the start of the year, trainer Graham Motion felt No Show Sammy Jo would be his Breeders’ Cup filly. Things didn’t quite work out that way, although after her impressive, 5 3/4-length victory in Friday’s $125,000 Via Borghese Stakes at Gulfstream Park, Motion has to be having similar ideas about there being a Breeders’ Cup race in No Show Sammy Jo’s future next season.

With regular rider Jorge Ruiz aboard, No Show Sammy Jo rallied strongly outside horses on the final turn, readily running by the tiring leaders in early stretch before drawing off to an easy victory over a late-running Gallant Greta. It was another two lengths farther back to the 8-5 favorite La Mehana, who finished a non-threatening third while making her first start since being purchased at the Keeneland November breeding stock sale.

:: Play Gulfstream Park with confidence! DRF Past Performances, Picks, and Clocker Reports are available now.

Motion said No Show Sammy Jo was also ticketed for the same sale in early November at Keeneland, only to be purchased privately prior to going into the ring by her present connections, Newstead Stables LLC. She had been campaigned by her original owners, Briarwood Farms and Madaket Stables, while trained by Motion through her first 11 career starts.

No Show Sammy Jo had made one previous start for her current owners prior to her victory on Friday, finishing a troubled second in the Grade 3 Long Island Stakes at Aqueduct on Nov. 8.

“This is what I’d thought she’d be all year,” Motion said, referring to No Show Sammy Jo’s performance in the Via Borghese. “She was really unlucky in the Long Island. In fact I feel she should have won that race the last two years.”

Motion praised Ruiz’s handling of No Show Sammy Jo, aboard whom he has teamed up to win four of five starts, with the lone blemish coming in the Long Island.

“Jorge rides her great. He’s nearly undefeated on her,” said Motion. “And he rode her with a lot of confidence today.”

Motion said he will likely keep No Show Sammy Jo running locally this winter and likely point her next for the Grade 3 Christophe Clement Stakes, formerly the La Prevoyante Stakes, going 1 1/2 miles on Jan. 24.

No Show Sammy Jo completed 11 furlongs over a firm course in 2:11.10 seconds and paid $7.

:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.