Mike Gathagan
Vice President-Communications
Maryland Jockey Club

LAUREL, Md. – The others will likely be fighting for minor shares when William Harris’ graded stakes winner Sweet Goodbye faces six fillies and mares in Saturday’s $70,000 Conniver Stakes at Laurel Park.

A winner of six stakes, Sweet Goodbye (6-5) captured the What A Summer Stakes and the Barbara Fritchie Handicap (Grade II) to begin her five-year-old campaign. The daughter of Louis Quatorze is a perfect four-for-four at the seven-furlong distance. J. D. Acosta has been aboard Sweet Goodbye for all 13 starts and will have the mount.

“She came out of the Fritchie in great shape and has been training well,” trainer Chris Grove said. “I wasn’t planning on running her in this spot but she bounced back so quickly she made me put her in here. I think we found our niche with her at seven-eighths. She is able to settle off the pace and close really strong.”

Grove will also start Heaven’s Voice (5-1), who finished second in Aqueduct’s Correction Handicap and was third in the Squan Song and in her most recent outings. The daughter of Lion Hearted has drilled two bullet workouts since her last start and picks up jockey Malcolm Franklin.

“We would be happy with second,” added Grove, who captured the 2007 Conniver with millionaire Silmaril.

All Giving (7-2) has banked over a half-million dollars and scored thirteen times for trainer Flint Stites, including the Conniver two years ago. Last year, the daughter of Allen’s Prospect finished second in the Conniver before adding three added money tests – the Skipat, the Day Lilly and the Maryland Million Distaff Handicap- to her resume. She has six stakes wins and 13 in the money efforts in 25 added money tries. Jonathan Joyce is her regular pilot.

Sterling Vow (8-1) and Fascinatin’ Rhythm (6-1) finished one-two in the Squan Song ahead of Heaven’s Voice. The former has not raced since that start, while the latter finished third in the Correction Handicap and was 12th in the Barbara Fritchie.

Lori Z’s Punch (10-1), who has been absent since November, and Call of a Lion (20-1), a two-time winner at Laurel, complete the line-up.