Fille d'Esprit has home-field edge in Barbara Fritchie
Maryland-bred Fille d’Esprit defends her home ground at Laurel Park on Saturday in the Grade 3, $250,000 Barbara Fritchie Stakes for fillies and mares at seven furlongs.
Fille d’Esprit has captured 11 of 22 starts since being claimed by trainer John Robb out of a winning effort in a $10,000 “two-life” event at Laurel. She finished third in last year’s Fritchie, beaten a length by Glass Ceiling.
A 7-year-old mare by Great Notion, Fille d’Esprit won five stakes last year, but ended her campaign with an uncharacteristically flat fourth-place finish in the Willa On the Move on Dec. 30.
Robb told Daily Racing Form that the Willa On the Move “was very puzzling.” He admitted that Fille d’Esprit “didn’t fire,” but hoped that a track bias worked against the mare.
“Everything that went to the lead stayed there that day,” he said.
Fille d’Esprit made her 2023 debut in Laurel’s What a Summer on Jan. 21, and the mare seemed back to her best form, sweeping to a 5 1/4-length victory. She drew the outside post in the eight-horse Fritchie.
Pass the Champagne could be the horse to beat shipping up from Tampa for her second start following a 345-day layoff.
The 5-year-old Flatter mare has displayed talent throughout her career. In only her third start, she finished second, beaten a head, by eventual two-time Eclipse champion Malathaat in the Grade 1 Ashland at Keeneland.
Following a troubled 12th in the Kentucky Oaks, Pass the Champagne missed the rest of her sophomore campaign. She returned the following winter and bested first-level allowance horses sprinting at Gulfstream Park, but soon went back to the sidelines.
Trainer George Weaver was patient with Pass the Champagne, and the mare came back last month with an excellent effort in the Wayward Lass traveling 1 1/16 miles at Tampa Bay. Hounded on the lead through quick fractions, she was beaten a head by Tap Dance Fever.
Weaver was pleased with the performance and looks forward to cutting Pass the Champagne back in distance.
“We’ve been of the mind that she’s probably a better one-turn mare,” he said.
Union Lake finished third in the Grade 2 Prioress last summer at Saratoga, then was last of nine in the Grade 2 Raven Run at Keeneland on Oct. 22.
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“She was down inside, and she actually touched heels with the horse in front of her,” said trainer John Terranova. “As soon as that happened, [John Velazquez] said it startled her completely and she let go of him.”
Union Lake rebounded with a 91-Beyer victory in a second-level allowance at Aqueduct on New Year’s Eve, and has been breezing right along in the interim. Terranova is pleased with post position 6.
Swayin to and Fro and Liscolvin should both be forwardly placed. They ran one-two in the Safely Kept for 3-year-old fillies on Nov. 26. Three-time stakes-winner Swayin to and Fro most recently finished second to Fille d’Esprit in the What a Summer.
Prodigy Doll, Quiet Imagination, and Moody Woman complete the field.
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