By John Scheinman
Special to The Washington Post
Sunday, December 12, 2004; Page E02

BALTIMORE, Dec. 11 -- For trainer Christopher Grove, the challenge with 3-year-old filly Silmaril is not to get her to win. She already does plenty of that. What Grove hopes to teach his highly talented horse is that just because she passes all the horses doesn't necessarily mean the race is over.

For the fifth time in her past six starts, Silmaril ranged up from mid-pack in a field and galloped home a winner, taking the $100,000 Geisha Handicap for Maryland-bred fillies and mares on Saturday at Pimlico Race Course. Yet when the elegant daughter of stallion Diamond cleared off by three lengths in the stretch, she appeared to lose interest.

As she closed in on the finish line, Silmaril lazily drifted toward the grandstand, while late-running Pour It On bore down on her.

"She makes the lead and wanders," said a relieved Grove in the winner's circle after Silmaril, who went off as the favorite, held on by 1 1/4 lengths. "I would like to see her go on down the lane. She makes a big move and then looks like she's not done playing. Maybe it's just a maturity issue."

Silmaril closed out the year strongly, winning the 1 1/8-mile Geisha in 1 minute 53.89 seconds over a sloppy track. After running two races as a 2-year-old, she won three stakes this year, including the Maryland Million Oaks. Her only recent loss was a close-up fifth-place finish in the Grade III Anne Arundel on Nov. 20.

Grove learned much in the Geisha. Silmaril proved she can win at 1 1/8 miles and on a wet track. In August, she showed she could sprint as well, taking a six-furlong dash at Philadelphia Park, giving the trainer many options.

One is to train Silmaril up to the Grade II $200,000 Barbara Fritchie Handicap in February, a seven-furlong race scheduled for Laurel Park, if that track's reconstruction is complete. If the Fritchie is run at Pimlico, it likely will be at six furlongs because of the track's configuration.

"If the Fritchie is seven-eighths, she'll be in there," Grove said.

Racing Note: Fusaichi Samurai, a $4.5 million son of 2000 Derby winner Fusaichi Pegasus, won his debut in a 6 1/2 -furlong maiden race at Hollywood Park.