The $175,000 Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash, a six-furlong sprint for older horses, marks its 34th running Saturday at Laurel Park. A key fixture in Maryland’s stakes schedule, this year’s edition has drawn a competitive field of eight.

Veteran Super Chow is favored, and last year’s defending champ, Dean Delivers, returns for another try. Waiting in the wings is Subrogate, the promising 5-year-old who returns for his second start off a long layoff—and perhaps with something to prove.

Trained by Jorge Duarte Jr. for Colts Neck Stables, Subrogate made headlines last summer when he ripped through back-to-back New York allowance wins with Beyer Speed Figures of 99 and 106. The son of Arrogate looked poised to make the leap to the graded ranks but faltered badly in the Grade 1 Alfred G. Vanderbilt last July, finishing far back and emerging from the race with a painful quarter crack. The injury proved more complicated than initially thought.

“It was a little bit more severe than your regular quarter crack,” Duarte explained. “He needed time to grow the foot out. We were debating to take him to Florida [for the winter], but those extra two, three months [off] probably were going to do him better.”

Subrogate has won four of nine career starts, earning over $272,000. After winning at second asking at three, he immediately moved into stakes company in Monmouth’s 1 1/16-mile Pegasus, leading a long way before fading to fourth.

He went to the sidelines after four starts and then returned in April 2024 as a sprinter, winning three consecutive starts before faltering in the Vanderbilt.

After ten more months on the sidelines, Subrogate resurfaced on May 26 in the Mr. Prospector Stakes at Monmouth Park. Drawn on the rail, he struggled on the turn but showed determination late, rallying nicely once he switched leads to finish second, just a length behind winner Buccherino. Sandy Leon was in the irons that day.

“Tough post,” Duarte said after the race. “He kept digging. He’s a nice horse to have around, that’s for sure. I think a track like Laurel will suit him well, and we’re ready to go on Saturday.”

Subrogate will break from post 5 and is listed at 3-1 on the morning line. Horacio Karamanos will ride.

Among those looking to deny him are Super Chow (5-2), a speedy multiple graded stakes winner who comes in off a sharp score in Monmouth’s Get Serious Stakes and is on the brink of millionaire status, and Dean Delivers (7-2), last year’s De Francis winner and a gritty competitor with nearly $830,000 in earnings.

Those two runners were fourth and third, respectively, in the Mr. Prospector.

“He just got beat a little bit in the Mr. Prospector, and it’s tough to come back and win a stake first out off a long break,” said Ned Allard, who trains Dean Delivers for Stonehedge LLC. “I think he benefited by that, and I think he’ll be really tough.”

Happy Is a Choice (5-1), third in the Grade 3 Aristides last out, adds more stakes firepower to the field, while Maryland-based Celtic Contender (6-1) brings local class with two stakes wins over the Laurel strip.

The De Francis is carded as the 11^th on a 12-race program. The day kicks off at 12:05 p.m.

DE FRANCIS DASH ENTRIES