Saturday Cardinal Couple -- B.B. headed to Poland

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SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE


-Becky Burke headed to Poland for Eurohoops


-Theophille, Okoro lead Cards in NCAA Track/Field


-Ky. High School Girls thump Ind. 75-47


-Angel movie?


-Belmont Stakes picks


Louisville womens basketball player Becky Burke has signed a contract to play for ROW Rybnik Poland in the highly competitive EuroBasketball leagues. 

Burke joins a team that went 15-11 in competition in the 2011-12 season. A scan of the roster from last year shows several former USA college stars were on the squad last season. Alexis Rack (Miss. St./San Antonio), Mekia Valentine (UCSB/N.Y. Liberty), Sybil Dotsy (Ariz. St.) and Rebecca Harris (Illinois) played for Rybnik last season.

Given the transient nature of players and rosters in Euro basketball, it's hard to say whether they'll be there in the upcoming season to help Becky learn the important phrases in Polish like pizza, cereal, remote control and Justin Bieber...but it's a great opportunity for the Clarks Summit, PA star who was UofL's long range specialist in her four years at the Ville. We'll always remember the "Beckster" for that big smile, too. 


Going from the red and black to the green and orange. Load up on the Cocoa Puffs, B.B. Just in case. We hear the Polish cereal brands aren't that great. 


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Results from Friday NCAA Outdoor Championships:

Four UofL womens track and field stars were in action yesterday in Des Moines, Iowa for the 2012 NCAA Outdoor Championships. Michelle Theophille tied for 6th in the high jump and Maggie Gilbertson tied for 17th. Theophille cleared six feet (or 1.83m...for
you metric fans) in her best attempt. 


In the shot put, Chinwe Okoro finished seventh with a toss of 56-5.75 and Khadila Abdullah grabbed eleventh place...hurling the ball 54-4.75. 


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The Kentucky All-Star girls basketball team took it to Indiana last night in Freedom Hall, pounding the Hoosiers 75-47. Kentucky Miss Basketball Sydney Moss led the way for the winners with 14 points and 11 grabs. She was proud of the feat:


" Been a lot of good Kentucky teams to come through here and to beat them by the second-biggest margin is saying a lot."


Moss is headed to Florida this fall to be a student-athlete and is the daughter of NFL great Randy Moss. 


Took the Kentucky squad a bit to get started, going scoreless in the first five minutes of the contest, played in front of a sparse crowd in Freedom Hall. Marion County's Bre Elder (Dayton) finally connected for KY and it was 39-27 at the half for the home team. Indiana was 0 for game from the three-point arc. 


The two squads will battle again today in Indy.


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Film in the works for #35? Charlie Springer spills the beans (hopefully not the popcorn) over at the very fine UofL Card Game. Give "The Observer" a read at the link below. 


Angel documentary


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OK, here they are. The CARDINAL COUPLE Belmont Stakes picks. A revised forecast, since the "scratch" of I'll Have Another. 

Not gonna happen...

Disappointment? Sure. Everyone wanted to see the California hero try for the Triple Crown. Tendinitis in the left front leg will make that something that isn't going to happen. We're guessing no amount of Aleve could have taken care of the pain (that's what Paul takes for his tendinitis) and it's a shame that the three-year old can't go...but the care, well-being and safety of the horse is the main thing here and Doug O'Neill made the right call. There are plans to walk him around
in the paddock area today. Previous plans to lead the post parade in the BELMONT STAKES have been scratched.


PAUL

Dullahan, you da man!

One of my favorite bartenders at Churchill gave me a DULLAHAN pin to wear earlier this week for Saturday. Didn't think too much of it at the time, but now I believe it is manifest destiny and the horse is my top pick here. His late-closing style is ideal for the lengthy Belmont stretch. I'll go with ATIGUN for second. Was impressed with his win on the undercard at Churchill on Derby Day and he's another who flies by them from the back. D.Wayne Lukas keeps bringing OPTIMIZER back for punishment in Triple Crown races and maybe he'll appreciate the added distance today...so we'll peg him for third. UNION RAGS should be good enough to pick up the pieces for fourth. 


I'll play exacta and trifecta wheels with these four and make sure they're included in a pick three that I'll start in the ninth race with my best pick of the day...Hierro. 


SONYA

"Hello, Sonja? I think we have
a live one Saturday. How's Co-Co?"

Bob Baffert is up to something. I figured he wouldn't toss BODEMEISTER in the Belmont, too far for the mile specialist, but he has entered PAYNTER. Ol' white-hair was puffing the goods on this one early in the Derby trail and he was impressive in winning a big allowance race at Pimilco on Preakness day. PAYNTER, at a price, is my top pick. I think DULLAHAN will be gobbling up ground at the end, and it wouldn't surprise me if he wins...but I'm picking him second today. ATIGUN comes out of Kenny McPeek's barn and is a closer who will like Belmont's surface. He only knows one speed and it is flying late. He'll get third. UNION RAGS will contest it for awhile before fading to fourth. 
It would not surprise me if "Ragsie" wins, though. 


I'll box these four in an exacta and put win, place and show money on Paynter, Dullahan and Atigun. By the time the Belmont Stakes, the 11th race on the Belmont card today, I'll also probably come up with a few "hunch bets"...paying particular attention to how speed is holding up on the rock-hard, lighting fast track. 


DAVID

I've chased OPTIMIZER in the first two legs of the Triple Crown so far. Not backing off now and that's my top selection. Trainer D.Wayne Lukas got a noggin thump from one of his horses earlier in the week. It would be fitting if they played Dean Martin's "Ain't that a kick in the head" during the post parade. Give me DULLAHAN for second and I don't care who comes in third or fourth.


Paul still hasn't paid me for my I'll Have Another score in the Derby. Something about the increased cost of UofL Football tickets. I'll call him later Saturday morning and tell him to invest my Derby winnings on any horse that nods and winks at the TV cameras during the post parade. These horses -- they're smarter than you think. 


Paulie, cue up a little Dino for me...


(Ask and you shall receive. Click the link below for classic Dean Martin) 


Ain't That A Kick In The Head?


NBC has the coverage again. Post time around 6:30 p.m. Good luck and remember that our selections are for entertainment purposes only. 
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