The story behind Just Philtored’s rise shines a light on a close-knit breeder network and a shared passion for the sport. It began when Oklahoma-born Elliot Campbell relocated to Baltimore at age 24 for work and, having never attended a horse race before, found himself captivated by a photo behind a local GNC’s register. The image featured Cherokee’s Boy, a Maryland-bred graded stakes winner who ran in the 2003 Preakness Stakes (G1).
Curious, Campbell asked the store owner, “What’s the story with that horse?” The owner replied, “Oh, that’s my horse, Cherokee’s Boy. He ran in the Preakness last year.” The owner turned out to be the late Dave Picarello, a fellow horseman and co-founder of ZWP Stable. Picarello invited Campbell to attend one of his races, and an enduring partnership began.
When Picarello passed away in 2023, Campbell stepped into leadership of ZWP Stables alongside trainer Gary Capuano, honoring their friend. The collaboration between ZWP Stables and Capuano’s Non Stop Stables reached a notable milestone on December 6, when their homebred Just Philtored captured the Maryland Juvenile Filly Stakes at Laurel Park.
Just Philtored, a daughter of Great Notion, secured her third stakes win for owners Red White and Blue Racing and London Reid Thoroughbreds. The filly hails from the Malibu Moon mare Slow and Steady, a foundational broodmare for ZWP Stable.
Campbell explains that, after Foard Wilgis’s passing in early 2021 and Dave Picarello’s in 2023, he and Capuano continued to race under the ZWP banner as a tribute to them. They ultimately ran their final race in ZWP silks, and ZWP was subsequently acquired by London Reid Thoroughbreds—the company Campbell runs, named after his sons.
For the Campbell family, watching the sport from afar remains a joy. They may not make frequent trips to Maryland, but the experience is deeply meaningful to them.
All of Campbell’s racehorses now compete under London Reid Thoroughbreds, with a few exceptions made for partnerships.
Just Philtored’s story mirrors the legacy of Slow and Steady’s offspring. Campbell notes that the Slow and Steady progeny are inherently bred to race, reflecting the mare’s influence.
Although the broodmare band is modest, its impact has been substantial. Slow and Steady, at 25 years old, is carrying her last foal by Arcangelo and, as the 2022 Maryland Broodmare of the Year, has produced 12 foals who have started in 12 races, earning more than $2 million in total. She is set to retire after the 2026 season.
Capuano purchased Slow and Steady for only $14,500 in 2002 at Fasig-Tipton’s Midlantic December Mixed Sale.
ZWP Stable’s most successful runner to date remains Malibu Beauty, a 7-year-old daughter of Buffum and a half-sister to Just Philtored. Malibu Beauty earned nearly $1 million over her career for Capuano, who owned the mare in partnership with Campbell. Malibu Beauty has since retired and is slated to visit stallion Vekoma in 2026.
Campbell hopes Malibu Beauty and the rest of Slow and Steady’s daughters can carry forward the matriarch’s legacy.
“Slow and Steady is the matriarch of the whole operation,” Campbell says. “If it weren’t for her, everything might have fallen apart. She’s extraordinary.”
He adds that the sport thrives because of teamwork. From Lynn Ashby of Marlyn Meadow Farms in Delaware to Gary Capuano and his daughter Tori, who work with the foals, a broad network of people makes success possible. Although distance sometimes limits direct interaction, the collective effort keeps the project moving forward.
