Fille d'Esprit makes it look easy in Politely Stakes

Favored Fille d'Esprit made short work of four rivals on Friday in Laurel Park's Politely for fillies and mares at six furlongs.

The Politely was one of two $75,000 stakes restricted to Maryland-bred or -sired runners Friday, along with the Howard and Sondra Bender Memorial for 3-year-olds and upward at seven furlongs.

Ridden by Xavier Perez and trained by John Robb, Fille d'Esprit ($3.20) rated in the clear in third position as Targe stepped the opening quarter of 22.63 seconds while pressed by Paisley Singing. Targe backed out first, and Fille d'Esprit cruised up alongside Paisley Singing after a half-mile in 46.60. Paisley Singing offered no resistance and Fille d'Esprit was on her merry way.

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She cruised under the wire 5 3/4 lengths ahead of late-running Juror Number Four, and completed the distance in 1:10.77. Hollywood Walk finished one length behind Juror Number Four in third. Then came Paisley Singing and Targe. Queen Sheba scratched.

Robb and Perez also captured the 2019 Politely with Anna's Bandit and the 2021 edition with Princess Kokachin. The Politely wasn't contested in 2020.

Fille d'Esprit has won 10 of 20 starts for Robb, including five stakes, since being claimed for $10,000 on Aug. 21, 2020. Lifetime, she boasts 12 wins from 23 starts for earnings of $628,381.

A 6-year-old mare, Fille d'Esprit shares the same breeding nick as Anna's Bandit, who won 17 of 39 races and earnings of $806,555. Both are by Great Notion out of No Armistice mares.
Fille d’Esprit was bred by Sweet Spirits Stables and is owned by C J I Phoenix Group and No Guts No Glory Stable.

Howard and Sondra Bender Memorial

Alwaysinahurry utilized stalk and pounce tactics to earn his second stakes victory in the Howard and Sondra Bender Memorial.

Piloted by Angel Cruz, Alwaysinahurry tracked outside from the second flight as Going to the Lead and Tappin Cat sparred through fractions of 23.36 and 46.20 seconds. Alwaysinahurry eased outside the leaders on the turn to challenge for the lead, and immediately felt pressure from a four-wide One Ten and jockey Denis Araujo.

One Ten had utilized similar sweeping tactics to win his last two starts, both against weaker company, and he seemingly had all the momentum.

After One Ten drew even at the eighth pole, however, Alwaysinahurry asserted himself again. He created separation from his main rival and drove home to prevail by 1 1/2 lengths in 1:23.85. It was another 4 1/4 lengths back to Going to the Lead in third.

"When he broke and was sitting right there, I felt pretty good," winning trainer Dale Capuano said in an interview broadcast by Laurel Park. "I figured he'd be pretty tough from the quarter pole to the wire."

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Favored Monday Morning Qb didn't have the cleanest trip. One of the expected pacesetters, he broke a beat slowly, then rushed up along the rail to be pocketed in behind horses. Shuffled back turning for home, he raced on his left lead once clear in the stretch and missed third by a nose.
Tappin Cat and Antipoison completed the order of finish. Whereshetoldmetogo and Twisted Ride scratched.

Alwaysinahurry was bred by Dr. and Mrs. Thomas Bowman, Quin Bowman and Rebecca Davis, and completed the Friday stakes double at Laurel for sire Great Notion.

Purchased by Mopo Racing for $70,000 as a yearling, Alwaysinahurry finished second in the Maryland Million Nursery as a 2-year-old, then captured the Concern Stakes during the summer of 2021.

Two starts back, Alwayshinahurry hinted at this sort of performance when rallying from last to defeat graded stakes winner Wondrwherecraigis in a conditioned allowance at Pimlico on Sept. 18. Alwaysinahurry then ran third in the Maryland Million Sprint at Laurel on Oct. 22.

A half-brother to multiple stakes winner Clubman, Grade 3-placed Friscan, and stakes-placed Stonebriar, Alwaysinahurry is from the family of European champion Alleged, and has won 5 of 19 for earnings of $299,232.

Capuano said after the race that he looks forward to stretching Alwaysinahurry out to a mile in the future.

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