Ultimate Love might have been stepping up to stakes company for the first time at Laurel Park on Saturday, but the result remained the same. In her third straight victory for trainer Mike Trombetta, the juvenile filly was overwhelming again and rocketed home to win by four lengths in the $150,000 Selima Stakes. “Each race gets a little more difficult and she keeps showing up and running really well,” Trombetta said. “I couldn't be any happier with her.” In jockey Jorge Ruiz’s second stakes victory of the day, he worked out a very similar trip to the one he made aboard Proton in the Laurel Futurity. But while that stalking favorite had to hold off several rivals near the wire, Ultimate Love was left without contemporaries while maintaining her unbeaten record. She completed the 1 1/16-mile distance in 1:43.58, nearly a second faster than her male rivals earlier on the card. Trombetta said that he decided that it was time to give his filly a chance in stakes company when she crushed a $49,000 allowance field at Laurel by 6 3/4 lengths earlier this month. Bettors didn’t make her the favorite in either of her first two victories, but they gave her more respect in the field of eight on Saturday. She paid $5 to win. :: Access the most trusted data and information in horse racing! DRF Past Performances and Picks are available now. The commanding nature of Ultimate Love’s victory in the Selima is underscored by the performance of Celebrity Warrior, the runner-up trained by Todd Pletcher. Coming off a strong second in her debut at Saratoga, the filly took the early lead in her stakes debut and seemed intent on slipping away after completing the opening quarter-mile in 24.36 seconds and the half-mile in 49.74. The pacesetter didn’t seem to give away an inch of ground in the stretch, but Ultimate Love simply took it by force, advancing from fourth and running by as if her only potential rival was standing still. Celebrity Warrior prevailed by 1 1/2 lengths for second over Brittany Russell filly Sweet Little Lila. Trombetta said he doesn’t have a firm idea about Ultimate Love’s next start. In some far-off future, he can imagine her tackling even more distance, and it’s hard to argue after her performance Saturday. It’s a rare instance in which the trainer is caught somewhat flat-footed. In the span of three races, his filly has arguably become one of the strongest juvenile turf runners in the region. Laurel Futurity Stakes Coming off a debut victory in a restricted maiden special weight, trainer Graham Motion had no way of knowing how Proton would handle stronger competition in the $125,000 Laurel Futurity Stakes on Saturday. He certainly has a better idea now. Stretching out to 1 1/16 miles in his stakes debut at Laurel Park, the 2-year-old gelding stalked the early pace, easily moved forward on the far turn, and powered home to win by a length. He paid $3.40 to win and is now undefeated in two starts under Ruiz. “He did it very professionally,” Motion said. “[Ruiz] gave him a great ride, and he ran less what we expected him to, but more what we hoped he would.” Jutland, the runner-up in the $125,000 Kitten’s Joy at Colonial Downs last time out, had to settle for second again for trainer Kelsey Danner. She finished two lengths ahead of Parkes, a last-out maiden winner trained by Suzanne Stettinius. Both horses were finishing well near the wire, but they never had any chance of running down the winner. The race could not have set up better for Motion’s gelding, who chased longshots Blue Suede Hooves and Majestic Blue through an opening quarter-mile in 24.79 seconds and the half-mile in 49.76. Parkes had the inside track position to take third entering the first turn, but Ruiz confidently kept Proton on the outside to maintain a clear path. After a largely uneventful backstretch run, Ruiz chose to send Proton to the front on the far turn, and he easily picked up the tiring front-runners to take a 2 1/2-length lead entering the stretch. Jutland eventually straightened out and launched her own bid while Parkes continued advancing from seventh, but their belated moves were not good enough. Proton completed the 1 1/16 miles in 1:44:43. With questions about distance squarely put to rest, Motion is thinking big with his undefeated gelding as the season progresses. He has not yet ruled out the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, and Proton did nothing to dissuade him this weekend. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.