'Gate school' pays off for Limited View in Maryland Juvenile Fillies

Trainer John Salzman Jr. said he gate-schooled Limited View "four or five times" after she won the Maryland Million Lassie despite a poor start. His efforts paid off Saturday at Laurel Park when she broke much better en route to a six-length victory in the $100,000 Maryland Juvenile Fillies Championship.

Limited View is talented, but equally unpredictable. In the Lassie she broke awkwardly and made a right-hand turn leaving the gate, dropping far back early. On Saturday, she ran straight and true for jockey Edgar Prado and went right to the lead.

"I'd like to thank Mr. Salzman for bringing the filly to the gate so many times in between races," Prado said. "All of the hard work paid off today. I had a lot of horse the whole way."

Limited View rated nicely for Prado during the early stages of the seven-furlong race before drawing clear nearing the far turn. She won comfortably as much the best.

Limited View, whom Salzman purchased for $5,200 at the 2016 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic fall yearling sale, paid $6.40 in the 10-horse field of Maryland-breds. She was timed in 1:23.94.

Limited View is now 4 for 5 with earnings of $177,000.

"She's the best horse I've ever had," Salzman said. "She handled everything well today."

Salzman said Limited View would likely start next against open company in the $100,000 Marshua Stakes at Laurel on Jan. 27, although he did not completely rule out the $100,000 Gin Talking Stakes on Dec. 30.

"I want to see how she comes out of this race and how her head is," Salzman said.

Deep Red, who prompted the early pace, finished second, 1 1/4 lengths ahead of third-place Vente to Go. Steamy Hot raced in early contention but flattened out and finished fourth.

Frechette, the slight 2-1 favorite, was forwardly placed early but dropped back after being fanned five wide into the far turn and finished eighth.

Maryland Futurity: Another upset for Whirlin Curlin

Whirlin Curlin finished sixth in his first two career starts but has since made amends, winning back-to back stakes. On Saturday, he followed up his $49.80 upset in the Christopher Elser Memorial with a $45.80 surprise in the $100,000 Maryland Futurity.

A son of Curlin out of Lexington Girl, Whirlin Curlin was bred and is owned by the Marathon Farms of Peter Angelos. Whirlin Curlin is a half-brother to Lexington Street, who won the 2015 Maryland Million Lassie for trainer Gary Capuano and Angelos.

Jockey Jevian Toledo took Whirlin Curlin out to the three path from post 2 and challenged for the lead on the far turn. He won a spirited stretch battle with Still Having Fun to score by a neck.

"I had to put him in the race and keep him in the clear," said Toledo, the leading rider at Laurel. "Just like last time, he gave me all he had."

The Elser Memorial was a restricted South Carolina residency stakes. Whirlin Curlin was facing tougher company in the Futurity, which is for Maryland-breds.

"He had to step up his game today and he did, just he as he has in all of his races," Capuano said.

Whirlin Curlin covered seven furlongs in 1:23.96 over a fast track. The race was held in difficult snowy conditions.

Jamaican Don broke sharply and went to the early lead but he lugged out on the backstretch and Still Having Fun, Cordmaker, and Whirlin Curlin came up inside of him. Jamaican Don and Cordmaker had little left for the stretch run, leaving the race up to Whirlin Curlin and Still Having Fun, who had won his career debut prior to the Futurity.

Clever Mind, the 1-5 favorite, was unhurried while outrun early. He finished willingly but lacked the closing kick that he showed winning his first start in the Maryland Million Nursery and finished third, 3 1/2 lengths behind Syill Having Fun.