LAUREL, Md.—C J I Phoenix Group and No Guts No Glory Farm’s Fille d’Esprit, exiting a troubled third in the Barbara Fritchie (G3) last month, had smooth sailing in her return and rebounded with a popular eight-length triumph over defending champion Kiss the Girl in the $75,000 Conniver for older Maryland-bred/sired fillies and mares.
It was the eighth win from 14 career starts and first in a stakes for Fillie d’Esprit ($3.40), favored at 3-5 off her Fritchie performance. The 6-year-old mare, claimed for $10,000 in August 2020, gave trainer John ‘Jerry’ Robb his third Conniver win in the last four runnings, following another daughter of Great Notion, Anna’s Bandit, in 2018 and 2019.
“It’s always special, especially with this filly because I claimed her because she’s bred identical to Anna’s Bandit,” Robb said. “She seems to be improving with each race.”
Combat Queen was hustled to the lead from her rail post by jockey Jaime Rodriguez, leaving Fille d’Esprit to press a pace of 23.82 and 47.51 seconds into the far turn, with Kiss the Girl and Coconut Cake close behind. Fille d’Esprit ranged up to the leader approaching the stretch and quickly separated from her rivals once straightened for home to win in 1:24.54.
Kiss the Girl edged fellow multiple stakes winner Artful Splatter by a nose for second, followed by Coconut Cake and Combat Queen. Champagne Toast was scratched.
“Me and Jerry talked about it in the paddock. We were expecting [Combat Queen] to send hard because it was the entry with Kiss the Girl, and she likes to come from off the pace,” winning jockey Xavier Perez said. “Jerry told me just to break her sharp and if [Combat Queen] wanted the lead so bad to just sit off her and stalk, and it worked out that way.
“We she got to the three-eighths pole, I peeked back a little bit and I saw Kiss the Girl and [Coconut Cake] were pretty close,” he added. “I just showed her the stick a little bit and she took command. From the quarter pole down it was game over.”
Fillie d’Esprit was making her third straight stakes start after also encountering trouble at the start of the Jan. 29 What a Summer, where she finished seventh. She was beaten a length in the Feb. 19 Fritchie when she had to steady in traffic while making a run.
“The race before the Fritchie where she walked out of the gate and then got back in the race gave me confidence to run in the Fritchie,” Robb said. “This is a big step down from the Fritchie, so we had to be here.”
Named the top handicap mare of 1948 following a season that included wins in the Beldame, Comely, Vagrancy and Brooklyn handicaps, the latter over Hall of Famers Gallorette and Stymie, Conniver was bred in Maryland by Alfred G. Vanderbilt. She retired in 1949 after 15 wins from 56 starts.
Maryland Jockey Club Press Release
Photo of Fillie d’Esprit by Maryland Jockey Club
