No Show Sammy Jo ready to show up in G3 Sheepshead Bay

Newstead Stables’ No Show Sammy Jo looks well-suited to earn her first win of the year in Friday’s Grade 3, $175,000 Sheepshead Bay, an 11-furlong inner turf test for older fillies and mares, at Belmont at the Big A. 

Trained by Graham Motion, the 6-year-old Lope de Vega bay has made two starts this year, finishing off-the-board in the 12-furlong Grade 3 Christophe Clement in January at Gulfstream Park ahead of a last-out half-length second in the 11-furlong Grade 3 The Very One on February 28 there. 

Before those outings, No Show Sammy Jo had made monthly starts since last April in all but August and October, highlighted by a title defense in the the nine-furlong All Along in September at Laurel Park and a win in the 11-furlong Listed Via Borghese in December at Gulfstream.

“I finally got her on track in the fall, so I didn’t want to give her the winter off,” Motion said. “Now, I was hoping to freshen her up a little bit. I had run her in Florida a couple of times, I didn’t really want to run her again down there with the idea of freshening her up in mind.” 

No Show Sammy Jo [post 3, Jorge Ruiz] is 15-6-4-0 overall, her four seconds all at Friday’s distance, including in the Grade 3 Long Island here in each of the past two years. In two tries versus Grade 1 company, No Show Sammy Jo was off-the-board to start her past campaign in the Jenny Wiley and Gamely, in April at Keeneland and May at Santa Anita Park, respectively.

“She’s always been a filly I liked a lot,” said Motion. “I was a little frustrated that her results were disappointing last spring. I may have overfaced her a few times.”

Motion was encouraged by No Show Sammy Jo in the The Very One, where she rallied from 6th-of-8 to the lead in the lane under returning rider Jorge Ruiz, looking home free before being nailed to finish a half-length second to the late-rushing Just Basking in a final time of 2:11.31. 

“That was to a good filly,” Motion said. “I thought that race was very good. Her prior start was probably a little frustrating, but all in all, her Florida races were very good – kind of more what I thought she was capable of.”

No Show Sammy Jo worked a half-mile in 51.80 seconds, over the turf and around the dogs, in company with Grade 1-placed Laurelin on Friday at Fair Hill. 

No Show Sammy Jo, a British-bred purchased for $214,611 from Book 1 of the 2021 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, is out of the Exceed and Excel mare Shomaria. Her second dam is Group 3-winner Shemima and her third dam is Group 1-winner Shemaka.

Madaket Stables, Hoolie Racing Stable, LJSS Thoroughbreds and Gary Chervenell’s Irish-bred Kiamba [post 6, Manny Franco] will make her first stateside outing and start for trainer Miguel Clement. The 4-year-old daughter of Australia ran eight times in France for conditioner Mario Baratti, including a second last out in the 1 3/4-mile Group 3 Prix Belle de Nuit in October at Saint-Cloud. 

Kiamba’s record exudes class, hitting the board in 6-of-8 outings including her lone win in the 1 1/2-mile Prix Le Figaro Prix de Thiberville in June at Longchamp, and an additional group placing in the 1 5/16-mile Group 3 Prix Penelope last March at Saint-Cloud. 

Kiamba, a $582,160 purchase at the 2025 Arqana December Breeding Stock sale, is out of the winning Danehill Dancer mare Kikonga. Her third dam is Group 1-placed Kithanga, who produced Group 1-winner and 2001 Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf runner-up Milan. 

Clement also sends out Newtown Anner Stud Farm’s Irish-bred Unreasonable [post 4, Jaime Rodriguez] for her 5-year-old debut. The No Nay Never bay was second last out in a 1 5/16-mile optional claimer in August at Kentucky Downs after winning a 1 3/16-mile allowance in July at Saratoga Race Course.
  
Unreasonable, $450,976 purchase from Book 1 at the 2022 Tattersalls October Yearling sale, is out of the Galileo mare Silent Thoughts, a half-sister to multiple group-winner Yellow Rosebud and multiple stakes-winner Seeharn. Unreasonable made her first eight starts overseas for trainer Joseph O’Brien, winning a maiden on debut and placing twice at the stakes level in Ireland in 2024. 

Rounding out the field is dual Chilean Group 1-winner Dona Clota [post 5, Edgard Zayas], who is cross-entered in the Grade 3 Modesty on Friday at Churchill Downs for trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr.; dual stakes-placed Storm Miami [post 2, Victor Carrasco] for conditioner Amelia Green and four-time winner Lady Firefoot [post 1, Luis Rivera, Jr.] for conditioner Melanie Giddings. 

Bernietakescharge is entered for the main track-only.

The Sheepshead Bay is slated as Race 6 on Friday’s nine-race card. First post at the Big A is 1:20 p.m. Eastern.

Aqueduct will be open to the public from 11 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. to accommodate the stakes-laden 13-race program at Churchill Downs, which begins at 12:30 p.m. and concludes with the Grade 1, $1.5 million Kentucky Oaks at 8:40 p.m.

First post on Saturday at the Big A is 12:50 p.m. Eastern with the facility open to the public from 10 a.m. - 8:45 p.m. to accommodate an 11 a.m. first post at Churchill Downs for their 14-race card that features the Grade 1, $5 million Kentucky Derby in Race 12 at 6:57 p.m.  

America’s Day at the Races will present live coverage and analysis of the Belmont at the Big A spring/summer meet on the networks of FOX Sports. For the broadcast schedule and channel finder, visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/tv-schedule/.
 
NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Belmont at the Big A, and the best way to bet every race of the spring/summer meet. Available to horse players nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.