LAUREL, MD. 02/12/15---Trainer Marty Wolfson remembered his trip to last year's $300,000 Barbara Fritchie Handicap (G2) at Laurel Park as being "all messed up."

            Wolfson, speaking outside the racing office at his home base at Gulfstream Park, recalled sending Miller Racing's Centrique to last year's Barbara Fritchie off two consecutive victories at Gulfstream. But unlike the balmy weather conditions and fast track at Gulfstream, Centrique arrived in Maryland to a snowstorm.

            "The race was cancelled for a week, everything got all messed up, we finished third," Wolfson recalled.

            But Wolfson, one of Florida's leading conditioners, isn't giving up. The popular trainer, who finished last year's Gulfstream Championship Meet second in purses earned behind only Todd Pletcher, will be represented in Saturday's seven furlong Barbara Fritchie with another Miller Racing color-bearer in the 5-year-old mare Best Behavior.

            Wolfson is optimistic. "It's not snowing now," he said.

            Best Behavior is yet another of Wolfson's success stories. A former $7,500 maiden claimer at Fort Erie Race Track, Wolfson claimed the Into Mischief mare for Miller Racing for $62,500 in August at Gulfstream. Since the claim, Best Behavior finished second Nov. 11 at six furlongs in the $90,000 Sky Beauty at Gulfstream Park West, won the $110,000 Claiming Crown's Glass Slipper Dec. 6 at a mile, and finished second Jan. 7 in the seven-furlong $60,000 Miami Shores at Gulfstream behind Comely (G3) winner Wedding Toast.

            "Her race against Wedding Toast was huge," Wolfson said. "Up to a mile she's tough."

            Wolfson could have kept Best Behavior at Gulfstream this weekend for the 6 1/2 furlong Hurricane Bertie (G3), "but I have a couple fillies for that race (Centrique and My Pal Chrisy) and I wanted to separate them."

            Wolfson is hoping the snow stays away this weekend and Best Behavior can become a graded-stakes winner.

            "She's not been graded yet and I want to get her graded because she's an Into Mischief and we claimed her pretty cheap, so we'll see," he said.

            NOTES

            Accompanying Best Behavior to Maryland from Wolfson's barn was the 5-year-old Flores Island. Owned and bred by Gainesway Stable, the daughter of Giant's Causeway is entered in the $100,000 Maryland Racing Media Stakes at 1 1/8 miles. Flores Island has won three of 14 starts and has finished second five times. Most recently she finished fourth behind Wedding Toast and stablemate Best Behavior in the Miami Shores...Michael Hushion, who saddles Princess Violet in the Barbara Fritchie, is attempting to become the first trainer since John Salzman Sr. to win the Grade II event in consecutive years. Salzman saddled Xtra Heat to victories in 2002-03. Hushion won the race last year with My Wandy's Girl. A win would give Hushion four victories in the Fritchie. He saddled Harissa to victory in 2011 and Golden Dawn to win in 2008.

            Laurel Park is a Stronach Group company, North America’s leading Thoroughbred racetrack owner/operator. The Stronach Group racetracks include Santa Anita Park, Gulfstream Park & Casino, Golden Gate Fields, Portland Meadows, Laurel Park and Pimlico Race Course, home of the world-famous Preakness. The company owns and operates the Palm Meadows Training Center in Florida and is one of North America's top race horse breeders through its award-winning Adena Springs operation. The Stronach Group is one of the world's largest suppliers of pari-mutuel wagering systems, technologies and services. Its companies include AmTote, a global leader in wagering technology; Xpressbet, an Internet and telephone account wagering service; and Monarch Content Management, which acts as a simulcast purchase and sales agent of horseracing content for numerous North American racetracks and wagering outlets. The Stronach Group is also a major producer of televised horse racing programming through its HRTV cable and satellite network and is North America's premier supplier of virtual online horse racing games, as well as a leading producer of social media content for the horseracing industry.