Limited Entry bred to bloom early

ELMONT, N.Y. - Since winning the 1987 Tremont Stakes with Morgan's Levee, trainer Rusty Arnold has been a nonparticipant in New York's early-season 2-year-old stakes.

Thursday, however, Arnold could have the horse to beat in the $75,000 Fashion Stakes for juvenile fillies when he sends out Limited Entry against four other first-out maiden winners and a first-time starter in the five-furlong race.

Limited Entry, a daughter of Carson City, won a 4 1/2-furlong maiden race in the mud at Keeneland on April 23. She raced with the pace through a half-mile in 46.14 seconds before striding out smartly in deep stretch to win by 3 1/4 lengths under Pat Day.

"She had come to me in March, had done everything right," Arnold said. "She did everything the right way in the race and has done everything right since. She's kind of a big filly - surprising she came around as quick as she did, but she did. It's early for me."

has the pedigree to suggest she'd be successful early in her career. She is a daughter of Carson City, who won the Sapling Stakes at 2, and is out of the dam Grand Betty, who is a half-sister to 1992 Spinaway winner Family Enterprize. Limited Entry will break from post 4.

Trainer Jason Servis, whose brother John will shoot for the Triple Crown on Saturday with Smarty Jones, will try to get the family's fortunes off to a good start in the Fashion with Chocolate Brown.

On April 8, defeated colts by 5 3/4 lengths in a 4 1/2-furlong maiden race at Aqueduct. Gold Joy and Worray, the second- and third-place finishers from that race, came back to win their next start, though Worray was disqualified after coming up with a drug positive.

Chocolate Brown has come back with a couple of strong three-furlong workouts, including a bullet in 35.45 seconds from the gate on May 26.

"My plan was to go 38 out of the gate, just maintenance, and she just dragged that kid around there," Servis said. "I'm really thinking she might be okay."

After Coconut Popsicle made up nine lengths in the stretch of a Texas-bred race at Lone Star, owner Craig Singer transferred her from Donnie Von Hemel to Howie Tesher.

"She looks awful good," Tesher said. "I took her to the paddock and she handled herself really well. I don't know how good she can run. Von Hemel said she acted good, and the way she closed had everybody impressed with her."