Just Philtored sharp in Md. Juvenile Filly
Frank Vespe
December 6, 2025
Just Philtored shrugged off her challengers to post a decisive win in Saturday’s $125,000 Maryland Juvenile Filly Stakes, put the exclamation point on a stellar season, and all but wrap up champion Maryland-bred two-year-old filly honors.
As for the boys division, well, the picture remained somewhat muddled, as the finish of the Maryland Juvenile Stakes may indicate: the top three all were within a length of each other on the wire as Code of Silence rallied late and wide to prevail by a neck.
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Among the local juvenile distaff set, three fillies have pretty much moved to the head of the class: Just Philtored, Slewperstitus, and Doc’s Miracle. All had won at least one prior stake and placed in at least an additional stake.
All three posted for the Juvenile Filly – open this year to horses bred or sired in either Maryland or Virginia and carrying an enhanced, $125,000 purse. All three were 2.40-1 or less, with Slewperstitus off as the 8-5 favorite.
But Just Philtored asserted her authority in Saturday’s contest, drawing off to a decisive 1 ¾-length victory over Slewperstitus. Breaking alertly from midpack, the bay filly stalked the early pace set by Project Maximus along the rail through fractions of :23.30 and :47.11. Under a patient ride from J.G. Torrealba, Just Philtored advanced smoothly around the far turn and took command entering the stretch.
“[Torrealba] let that other horse go on, and you know, [Just Philtored] rated kindly,” said Tana Aubrey, trainer Mike Trombetta’s local assistant. “You can pretty much put her anywhere. I mean, she likes to be forwardly placed, but she kicked on and finished up.”
Slewperstitus mounted a bold three-wide bid and briefly looked poised to challenge in upper stretch, but Just Philtored responded readily to urging and pulled away to stop the clock in 1:26.02 for seven furlongs on a fast main track. Doc’s Miracle, who saved ground early before swinging wide, held third but was six lengths behind Slewperstitus.
Red White and Blue Racing LLC purchased a majority share of the horse privately out of her debut win at Laurel May 23. She’s since won three stakes, and the winner’s share will vault her past $250,000 banked.
“It’s worked out pretty well,” Aubrey understated. “She’s a keeper.”
Just Philtored paid $6.00 to win, $2.80 to place, and $2.10 to show. Runner-up Slewperstitus returned $2.80 and $2.10, while Doc’s Miracle paid $2.10 to show. The $1 exacta (6–4) returned $6.00.
Just Philtored is a Maryland-bred by Great Notion out of the winning Malibu Moon mare Slow and Steady. Half-siblings include the multiple stakes-winning $900,000 earner Malibu Beauty.
Just Philtored was bred by ZWP Stable and Non Stop Stable.
The Juvenile, by contrast, attracted an evenly matched field of nine – Biker Baley was scratched – that had combined for zero stakes wins.
The Tim Keefe-trained Code of Silence, fresh off a maiden score, was the now horse, going off as the 9-5 post time favorite. And he delivered.
Code of Silence delivered a stirring late rally to edge G Q Worthy by a neck in a dramatic finish, with Tartabull another half-length farther back.
The dark bay gelding found himself last after the opening quarter in :23.06 over a good track. As the pace unfolded through a half-mile in :46.63, set by Sometime and Big Bolton with Worker Bee applying pressure, Code of Silence began to build momentum on the far turn, swinging seven-wide into the stretch under Angel Cruz with a sustained, grinding run.
“It wasn’t ideal,” said winning trainer Tim Keefe of his charge’s slow start. “But it takes this horse a while to get going. And again, it wasn’t ideal, but he’s able to pick himself up.”
Just as he had done in his maiden score Nov. 16, Code of Silence mounted a grinding run to wear down his foes and prevail. But while the maiden score was by open lengths, this one was a frantic finish, as G Q Worthy and Tartabull both were in the photo.
“Obviously, Angel’s a very talented, very good rider, and puts a lot of time into this horse in the morning to figure him out,” Keefe said. “And obviously it’s paid off.”
Code of Silence stopped the clock in 1:27.23. An objection was lodged against the winner by Tartabull’s trainer Chad Summers alleging interference near the wire, but the stewards left the original order of finish intact.
Code of Silence paid $5.80 to win, $3.80 to place, and $2.60 to show, while runner-up G Q Worthy, off at 26-1, returned $14.40 and $6.40. The $1 exacta (5–1) paid $49.90.
Code of Silence is now 2-for-5 with earnings of over $125,000.
By Blofeld, he is out of the Oratory mare Tough Talkin Lady and is a half-brother to the graded stakes-placed Tattooed. He was bred in Maryland by Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Holt and Mr. and Mrs. Richard Palumbo and is owned by Holt’s Mount Peru Farm. The Holts also bred or co-bred Tough Talkin Lady and her dam Bold Questor.
Note: The initial version of this article misstated the ownership of Just Philtored. She is owned by Red White and Blue Racing LLC and London Reid Thoroughbreds.
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LATEST NEWS
Kim
07th Dec 2025Please update your article with the correct owner information. Just Philtored was privately purchased by Red White and Blue Racing, LLL and London Reid stayed in as a minority owner.
The Biz
07th Dec 2025Thanks for the update. The program for yesterday did not reflect that.