Sunday Cardinal Couple - Sunday with Sonja

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SUNDAY CARDINAL COUPLE


KYVIN GOODIN ROGERS DECOMMITS FROM LOUISVILLE


-Some UofL WBB notes


-Night racing at Churchill kicks into gear


- Cardinal Baseball 


CARDINAL COUPLE has learned that 2013 verbal Kyvin Goodin-Rogers from Marion County has de-committed from Louisville and re-opened her recruiting. A good, reliable source has confirmed the ASGR reports of this move. 


Although we have no firm basis to say why she has de-committed, the logical assumption is that she's paid attention to the recruits that UofL is pursuing, the strong nucleus of current Cards on campus and felt her playing time may not be significant upon arriving at UofL. 


Goodin-Rogers will play her senior season with Cardinal commit Makayla Epps at Marion County.


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Welcome to the start of our two-month Writers Days at Cardinal Couple! Starting today, and running through July...our writers will have a weekly column for you on whatever they want to write about. I get to kick it off, followed by David Watson tomorrow, Sandy Walker Tuesday, Jenny O'Bryan Wednesday, Mark "The Commish" Schneider Thursday, Reader Submitted Articles Friday and Paulie on Saturday. 

Me and Poobah. 

I've seen a couple of these writer's ideas for their inaugural articles and I do believe you'll enjoy their writings. 


We'll break in, of course, with any headline news about UofL Women's Athletics as needed. 


So, get out the tent, grill and bean bag boards....we're on Summer Break here at Cardinal Couple and got the khaki's and tank tops on! Volleyball, anyone? 


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A glance at the current roster listing for Jeff Walz's basketball team shows 13 girls listed. We now know that freshmen Cortnee Walton will wear #13 and Megan Deines will wear #15. 

Walton inherits a jersey that has some great history to it. #13 was "C.B.'s" number and Candyce put up some great numbers in it. Toni Slaughter (Antonita's older sister) wore it as well. Jill Morton shone in it from 1997-2000 and Jenny Pearson had it back in 1992.

Deines dons a number last worn by Tiera Stephen in the 2009-10 season. Before that, Tatjana Boston, Sabrina Minter and Jenny Knight checked in with it. One of my favorite Lady Cards of all-time, Jody Martin had it on her back from 1991-94. Megan wore #33 in high school. Monique Reid probably wasn't ready to turn it over to her.

So...returning star Monique Reid will be back in her #33 for her senior year. Tia Gibbs will put on #25 again. You'll see those two numbers out on Denny Crum Court a lot in 2012-13. 

Shoni indicating that the Cards have two BIG EAST
titles in the future? 

The official roster makes no mention of Monny Niamke yet. We're told that she'll be a Cardinal, though...so we'll have to wait before we can give you her number. 


The roster has three seniors (Harper, Taylor and Reid), four juniors (Vails, Slaughter, Shoni and Gibbs), four sophomores (Hammond, Smith, Jude and Dyer) and two freshmen (Walton and Deines).


Only 150 or so days until the KFC YUM! Center starts rocking again to the sound of UofL WBB cheers. 


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Downs after Dark! 

Churchill Downs kicked off June Night Racing on Saturdays with a better than average card for the historic oval. Three stakes races were featured and favorites won two of them. Rothko had no trouble in the Aristides Stakes and Bizzy Caroline enjoyed her return to the turf by winning the Early Times Mint Julep Handicap. The upset special was Island Bound in the Winning Colors Stakes...a flying outside, from far back finish with Leandro Goncalves on board to best the field at 9-1 odds.  


If you are a fan of jockeys Corey Lanerie or Manny Cruz, you were probably pretty happy during the final four races of the evening. They split the wins equally and each had three winners for the night.


Night racing is a whole different scene than days at Churchill. The crowd is larger, younger, more active and the atmosphere of the track is more "party" than racing. I enjoy it. 


One "twenty-something" patron last night expressed it pretty well as we were getting ready to leave and turn the rest of the night over to the younger ones:


" When I was younger, my dad and uncle would bring me out here for day racing sometimes and it was boring as h--l for me. This is completely opposite. The crowd is big, everybody is having a great time and the music is fantastic. I haven't bet a race yet. My dad and uncle tried night racing once last year, didn't enjoy it. I'd come every Saturday night, though, if they offered it. Babes, beer, buddies and tunes. Pretty sweet. Imagine if they'd add like slots and poker."  


(Hopefully someday, young man...someday)


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Tough loss for the guys last night in baseball. 16-4. Ouch. Arizona advances in the winners bracket.


Drops Dan McDonnell's squad to the losers bracket in the Tucson Regional. One more loss and season over. They play Missouri tonight at 7 p.m.

South Florida and Tennessee, two Louisville softball opponents, are headed home. They dropped out of the WCWS yesterday with losses. 


The FINAL FOUR are California, Alabama, Oklahoma and Arizona State. Cal needs to beat 'Bama twice today to get to the finals. ASU needs two wins over Oklahoma on Monday to do the same. Ex-Cardinal nemesis Jolene Henderson in the circle for the Bears who eliminated Oregon. 


Thanks for spending a portion of your Sunday with Sonja! See you next week! 

Jockeys call Louisville their home now

WEDNESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE


-Albarado and Lanerie at CD

-Some observations on the YUM!

-Field Hockey Senior Game

With the UofL Field Hockey, Volleyball and women's basketball team busily preparing for their next contests, CARDINAL COUPLE takes a look today at another big event taking place in the "Ville" this weekend...The Breeders Cup at Churchill Downs. Pictured left, Robby Albarado, who will ride FIRST DUDE in the Classic. Pictured right, Corey Lanerie...one of Churchill's up and coming riders.

Both Albarado and Lanerie spoke to a capacity crowd at the monthly Sportsmen Supper Club meeting Tuesday night. The riders are back in Louisville to participate in the Fall Meeting at Churchill Downs. Robby and Corey call Louisville their home now, have houses here and have moved their families to Louisville. They'll compete in the weekend racing and both are "keep an eye out for" contenders in any race that they might ride in.

Corey Lanerie, originally from Louisiana, is big time now. After riding the Louisiana and Florida circuits for several years...Lanerie has committed himself to racing at Churchill, Keeneland, Turfway and Ellis Park on the Kentucky circuits. Considered a dangerous option on any turf or distance event, Lanerie is also known as being the guy who "fired" top trainer Steve Asmussen.

As Corey tells the story, several years ago...he was getting the ride on a lot of "Ass"mussen's horses. And doing well. One particular afternoon, though...he was on an Asmussen mount and the horse simply didn't respond. After the race, Steve blistered Corey for his ride on the horse. Having gone thru similar episodes with Asmussen, Lanerie held his tongue but informed his jockey's agent to turn down anymore offers to ride for Steve again. In common terms, the decision is liking refusing to drive a BMW when you're tooling around town in a washed out Toyota Pickup. The two have somewhat mended fences, but in jockey circles..the legend of the story still remains.

Lanerie won't have a mount in any of the two day Breeders Cup events but will have plenty of mounts in the Fall Meet at Churchill. He gives it his all every race and has made this writer extremely happy over the years with his ability to boot home runners at longshot prices.

Albarado will be on board for multiple mounts in the Breeders Cup. Like Lanerie, he got his start riding at Delta, Evangeline and other "bush" tracks in Louisiana. He was the rider for CURLIN, one of the best to ever step foot on a race track.

Robby will tell you, though...that MINESHAFT is his favorite ride of all time. The multiple stakes runner never tossed out a poor performance and he and Albarado teamed up for one of the most thrilling rides that this writer can remember in the 2003 Jockey Gold Cup Stakes...blowing away the competiton in the Saratoga stretch.

He'll pilot FIRST DUDE in the Classic and Robby isn't ready to concede the race to ZENYATTA just yet. He feels the "the Dude" hasn't run his best race yet and will like the 1 1/4 mile distance on Saturday. He also questions whether the big gal ZENYATTA can handle the distance and dirt at Churchill. Could be wise words.

Both jockeys are in agreement that Churchill will continue to lose riders, trainers and owner to tracks that have casino gambling available. Purses and dollars talk in this industry. Both also enjoy night racing at Churchill Downs. Albarado did confide that his favorite track to ride at was Keeneland, though...Lanerie indicated his favorite spot to mount up is where "the horses are hot and he had good mounts." Both dream of winning the Kentucky Derby. Don't we all?

Watch both these guys in the Fall Meet at Churchill. Your wallet will thank you.

CARDINAL COUPLE will post some selections for both days of Breeders Cup racing beginning Friday Morning. (You may want to skip accessing the site.) In defense, WE cleared over $200 in profits last year on the Breeders Cup days. This year is a tough one...for the fields are very full and the competition keen.

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I've been to the KFC YUM! Center a total of three times now and find more and more to like about it each time I go. Parking hasn't been a problem, I did "hi-line" it last trip and forked over the $10 to park underneath the facility. Can't say I'll be back there...but I've had no problems leaving after events and game and love the easy access to I-64 East.

Seating is also quite grand. Although CARDINAL COUPLE is on Media Row for UofL women's basketball games...our seats for the Rick Pitino pledges are lower level and right above the bourbon bar. Is this heaven? I did saunter up to the 300 level to see the view and can understand some of the complaints about visibility, height and seeing the viewing screens. Look, it isn't nearly as bad as Rupp's rafters and the seats are way more comfortable. You get what you pay for. The Arena is simply the best out there. A jewel on the Ohio. Go early, take some time to visit the lounges and food stands and enjoy the atmosphere. And, get UofL women's basketball season tickets! Jeff Walz has a Juggernaut waiting for you to come see them play. Tennessee next Friday. Be there,

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Nicole Youman and Rachel Hollenbach have been selected to play in the National Field Hockey Coaches' Association Division I Senior Game. They'll take part in the contest on Saturday, November 20th. at the University of Maryland.

Youman has been a four year starter for TEAM CARDINAL. She leads the BIG EAST in goals, assists and points this year. She also holds the UofL records for single season and career assists and most goals in a game....five of them this year against CMU.

Hollenbach has started for three years and been an integral part of Pam Bustin's offense. She's produced four goals and two assists this year.

A tip of the hat and salute to these two fine examples of doing it the right way in college sports. Good luck against the Huskies and in the BIG EAST Tournament this weekend...Flock!