Wednesday Cardinal Couple - Watson writes.

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WEDNESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE


-Watson on Derby, Cardinal Softball and poor ol' T.O.


(We turn today's CARDINAL COUPLE over to the questionable hands of David Watson. We'll probably regret it...but when he looks at us with those baby blues and his lower lip starts quivering...oh, snap! Here's David...)

First of all, the brain-trust of Cardinal Couple (yes, I'm referring to Sonja) are going to change it up a bit in June. No, they're not retreating to a monastery (imagine Paul with monks) or devoting daily coverage to Catholic league softball -- Instead, the other assorted writers and I here at C.C. will have a day at-bat each week on the site. I chose Monday. I understand that they'll probably run reader-submitted articles on Friday and UK head Basketball Coach John Calipari is writing on Sunday. 


OK, I'm kidding about Calipari. 

"Where's my S'mores!" 

The plan is to do this merry rotation through June and July. In August, I've suggested we all gather for a big barbecue in Hartford, Connecticut and sing campfire songs with Stefanie Dolson and the UConn women's basketball players and coaches. I'm not cooking. Someone has to watch Paul and make sure he doesn't try to sneak off into the woods with Chris Dailey. 


AND THEY'RE OFF! 


So, how many tickets does the governor of Kentucky need for the Kentucky Derby? 360, it appears. Ethics tossed aside, some of Beshear's biggest contributors are getting to spend Derby and Oaks on Millionaires Row at Churchill by buying tickets from the "gov". 


My guess is that state senator David Williams probably wasn't on the list. 


And guess who got 40 of these for the Oaks? Why, no other than "Guv's" son Andy -- an attorney with Stites & Harbison. 

Gov "B" searches the bricks
at Churchill for Paulie and a
little trifecta advice. 

The attendees are, at least, paying for the tickets. $773 each for Millionaires Row. My oldest daughter made $750 last month, working part-time. She didn't get an invite to Churchill. I would have tossed in the extra $23.


Whether she'd been safer in the infield or with the lobbyists, glad-handers and people seeking recognition and reward on the sixth floor is anybody's guess.


It's the same old "politics as usual". 


Looks like someone in the Commonwealth enjoys gambling. Just as long as it isn't in one of those dreaded casinos. 


As John Steffen, current executive director of the Executive Branch Ethics Commission, said:


"...The use of tickets for economic development purposes is advantageous to the commonwealth but those allocated for political supporters would not be."


I wonder if any of them had I'll Have Another across the board? I have no doubts that "I'll have another" was a popular statement those two days. 


POOR,POOR PITIFUL ME


Let's all gather our nickles and dimes and send them to NFL Football great Terrell Owens. Seems that the $80 million or so he earned running around in a helmet is all gone. Vanished like a "fart in the wind" , I suppose. 

Won't you help us
help Terrell ?

Really? $80 million? OK. I guess taxes got around 20% or so of it. I doubt the rest went to feeding starving Ethiopian children, finding a cure for cancer or eliminating poverty in America. 


A fair amount of us will make, conservatively -- a little over a million and a half dollars if we work 35-40 years and retire at 65. We hope to maybe have a little nest egg to supplement our Social Security benefits. 


I'm going to set aside some loose change for T.O., though. The thought of him having to clip coupons, buy suits "off the rack" and prowl the aisles at Wal-Mart like you and me is just too much to bear. 


"For love of the game". A phrase that nowhere near describes the jaundiced excess of overpaid, fool-on-a-holiday professional athletes these days. Good money flushed down the toilet by pampered prima-donnas.


Willie Mays, Ernie Banks, Stan Musial. These men were true heroes. The Terrell Owens, Ocho-Whatever and LeBron "Shames" of today's sports news are weak imitators.   


Tell me that I'm not "up with the times". Tell me that I don't understand the modern-day psyche of the professional athlete. Fine. Whatever. 


I do understand $80 million bucks, though, and going from $80 million to zero is not trendy, hip or 21st. century.


It's stupid.


THOSE AMAZING CARDINALS


55-5. The job that Sandy Pearsall and her softball team did this season is almost beyond description. 

I was talking with our fearless leader Paul the other night and he was telling me of an interview he did with "Coach P." shortly before the season began. She spoke of having to replace the left side of her infield after the graduation of Colby Wherry and Chelsea Bemis. She also mentioned that she put the two out there as freshmen and they played together at short and third for four straight years. 


She worried about the strong returning teams at South Florida and DePaul. She was almost thankful that the Cards didn't have to play Notre Dame or Syracuse during the regular season.


She had nothing to worry about, it turns out.


It looked like it was deja-vu all over again. Freshmen Whitney Arion and Kayla Soles spent a lot of time together this year over on that left side. Add a sophomore second baseman, sophomore catcher, and just one senior fielder and pitcher in the starting lineup this year and the future does look very promising for the gang of ladies that play next to I-65.


The energy and enthusiasm of the softball unit is heartwarming. These girls have no long term professional contracts waiting for them after college ball, most of you wouldn't recognize them if they walked by you in the Oxmoor Mall or pulled up next to you at the gas pumps at Speedway -- but they energized a campus and fan base this spring and summer like they were rock stars or Hollywood starlets. 


I wish I would have been a part of that 3000+ crowd Saturday night at Ulmer Stadium that saw them take Kentucky down for the third time this season. I was there via TV, though, and you could feel the electricity surging in the crowd through the set. 


Keep it going in 2013, Cardinal fans. And, thank you Whitney, Maggie, Tori, Caralisa, Jordan, Taner, Alicja, Katelyn, Jennifer, "Linnie", Hannah, Kristin, Katie, Kayla, Tesha, Kirsten, Trista, Chrisanna, the staff and coaches for bringing so much enjoyment and pleasure to the UofL fan base. 


I saw Hank Aaron and Mickey Mantle hit home runs years ago. I think I enjoyed the ones that Jordan Trimble and Alicja Wolny hit over the last couple of weeks just as much.


Have a great Wednesday, everybody!  


-David Watson


( We can tell you that the blast by Trimble to beat the Irish is one of our top three moments in Cardinal Sports for 2012. Thanks for the memories, ladies... and thank you to David for today's articles. ) 
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MONDAY Cardinal Couple: Softball the BIG EAST CHAMPS!

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MONDAY CARDINAL COUPLE


-Softball defeats St. John's 3-1 to sweep series


-Women's track wins 5th straight BIG EAST outdoor title


-Some final Derby Week comments


-Marinatto steps down as BIG EAST COMMISH. 

Whitney Arion's two run blast was the key for UofL.

Whitney Arion's two run blast in the fifth inning was the difference maker in Louisville Softball's 3-1 win over St. John's Sunday in Queens, NY. With the victory, Louisville sweeps the regular season-ending series against the Red Storm, finishes 50-3 on the season an 20-2 in the BIG EAST and will get the #1 seed in the BIG EAST Tournament. Louisville will open up tournament play on Thursday, May 11th against #8 seed Connecticut at 12:30 p.m. The BIG EAST tournament will take place in South Bend, IN.

CARALISA Connell
started for UofL

Sunday's game was a scoreless affair for four innings matching Cards pitcher Caralisa Connell (18-1) and St. John's thrower Ashley Beza. With two outs in the top of the fifth, Arion took a Beza pitch over the left field fence to score her and Kayla Sloes, who had reached base on a Red Storm fielding error.


St. John's got a run in the bottom of the sixth off reliever Chelsea Leonard but Louisville pushed the margin to 3-1 in the top of the seventh when sophomore Jordan Trimble doubled and scored on a Maggie Ruckenbrod single.

Chelsea Leonard
picked up the save.

Leonard pitched her way out of trouble in the bottom of the seventh.  A single, walk and Leonard's second wild pitch of the game gave St. John's runners on second and third with two outs...but Leonard got Erin Burner to strike out and end the threat and the game.


It was Leonard's 10th save of the year, tops in the nation. 


A great regular season for the softball team and the road now leads to the BIG EAST Tournament and NCAA Regionals. 


*******************************************

Abdullah won the
discus today

Louisville women's track and field won their fifth straight BIG EAST Championship Sunday in Tampa, FL...getting a big boost from field events for the second day in a row. Khadija Abdullah won the discus and Amashi Kendall finished third.


Michelle Theophille won her first BIG EAST high jump title and teammate Megan Schubert grabbed fourth place. Charachesicia Lockhart finished fifth in the triple jump and Ahlivia Spencer set a school record and ran sixth in the 800m. 


Final point totals:


Louisville  -  104
Notre Dame  - 99.50
South Florida - 84
Cincinnati - 81
West Virginia - 72


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The 138th Kentucky Derby is in the books now and it did answer a few questions for us but also left a few remaining questions. 

-- No doubt, the West Coast horses made a strong showing this year. Santa Anita Derby I'll Have Another won the race and Creative Cause wasn't too far back. Bob Baffert's Bodemeister set a wicked pace...maybe too fast...but was there until the final few steps. 


-- Will this be the last Derby where horses can run on Lasix? Racing commissions in Kentucky, New York and many other states are looking at a ban on the diuretic and bleeding-prevention medication. 


-- Who will come back for the Preakness? We'll know that soon enough...but unless there's injury or an owner looking to rest a horse, we expect the top five finishers from the Derby to contest the 1 3/16th event at Pimilco in two weeks. 

-- Will Hansen's owner's finally "get it" and let "Big Whitey" run in races he has a chance in...namely  anything a mile and eight or shorter? The horse looked washed out and just plain wore out after the Derby distance. 


-- Will the increases in attendance on Wednesday and Thursday during Derby week convince Churchill to offer a few stakes or Graded races those days? Honestly, the card on Thursday was just awful when it
came to feature and quality races. 


-- Does the lack of casino gambling in Kentucky kill the thoroughbred horse tracks at Churchill, Ellis Park, Turfway? Name trainers, owner and jockeys are splitting right after Derby Week and headed to higher paydays in New York and California. Wake up, Kentucky state Senate. Give the people the right to vote on it.

-- Could next year's Derby Week get any more exciting or embarrassing for media events and sensational journalism? You had Robby Albarado resurrecting his boxing career, Cyndi Lauper dropping
nasty words in front of little girls, Richie Farmer getting more print that he wanted (and not basketball-related) and a death in the barns the day after Derby. 


In all fairness, you also had one of the most exciting Derby's in the past few years...a female jockey winning the Oaks for the first time ever and a first-time jockey to Kentucky and Churchill winning the Derby. Record crowds and (mostly) great weather. 


-- The owner, trainer and jockey of I'll Have Another discuss the win at the link below


We'll have a few words about I'll Have Another 

-- Finally, we will continue our quest to be granted official media credentials to Churchill. A formal letter of request has been mailed to Darren Rogers at Churchill (per his verbal suggestion) now that Derby 138 is in the books. 


As we pointed out, we've provided 11 straight days of horse-racing articles to you...the readers. We'll go the Andy DuFresne route from the movie Shawshank Redemption. We'll mail a letter a week if we have to. 


We thank you for your e-mails and calls of support on this issue. Rogers seems to think we don't get enough "play" in our comments section. We can't control that.
No one is forcing a single reader here to make comments. We get plenty of e-mails, though...and that is proof enough to us that you're reading, have opinions and care. 


A noted writer here locally told me, in reference to his website:


"Paul, I'd do away with a message board and comments section if I could. It's the haven of flamers, idiots and mal-contents." 


They can't ignore us forever. We're not going anywhere. The gorilla in the corner is not staying quiet. Hand the ball to the girl out of bounds and drop back into the zone coverage. Game far from over. 


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John Marinatto has resigned as BIG EAST Commish. There is a God, after all. How many teams left the BIG EAST during his watch? And who came in? Bye, bye...now. See ya later. Don't let the door slam you in the back as you leave. 

A league that sorely needs direction, guidance and "out of the box thinking" was being run by a lost hippo in the rain-forest looking for a place to take a nap and a dump. Not necessarily in that order, either. 


It's nothing personal, John. I'm sure you're a great guy, super dad, wonderful hubby and a lot of fun to be around on poker night or a day at the races. 


You're just not a very good commish. 

Louisville, here's your sign for the umpteenth time. Get out. Run while you can. Go independent, BIG 12 or Bill and Ted's Excellent Conference (dude) but break the chains and run away from the small, non-football playing Catholic Universities that control the landscape of the BIG EAST. Let Providence, Villanova, St John's and Seton Hall wallow in their own self-importance. Replace your divot and drive on down the fairway, Cards. 


And, we're not religion-bashing here either. It's a matter of recent relativity relevance. And the four schools above haven't been relevant in a long time in athletics. 


Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Boston College, Miami, Virginia Tech, West Virginia...uh...we're beginning to see a trend here. Get us in the truck, Tom Jurich...and let's go.
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SUNDAY CARDINAL COUPLE


-Softball clinches the BIG EAST title with doubleheader win over St. John's


-Track leads after Day Two of BIG EAST Championships


-Watson on the Kentucky Derby 138.


The University of Louisville softball team captured the regular season BIG EAST title with a doubleheader sweep of St John's Saturday. The Cards defeated the Red Storm 15-4 and 8-4. With the wins, Louisville is now 49-3 on the season.


The bats that had been a little quiet lately showed up Saturday at Metallica levels.  

Louisville plated ten runs in the final two innings of game one to break wide open the contest. Caralisa Connell (17-1) got the win...going 6.1 innings. Tori Collins came in to get the final two batters out in the bottom of the seventh. 


Louisville had 17 hits. Kayla Soles went 3 for 4 and Taner Fowler joined Alicja Wolny at 2 for 4...each hitting a home run. 


In the second game, Wolny continued the hot streak with 3 for 4 hitting and another homer. Fowler also sent another one over the fence. The Cards jumped out to a 2-0 lead and were never tested. Chelsea Leonard gets the "W" and goes to 9-1 on the season. She pitched five innings of five-hit softball and allowed two unearned runs. Tori Collins pitched two innings of relief.   

This is the first BIG EAST regular season title for Louisville since 2006 and the second overall. With Saturday's wins...Sandy Pearsall has now won 500 games at Louisville. 

They'll conclude the regular season with a noon start today. 


*******************************************


Thanks to the throwers, Louisville's women's track and field team leads the BIG EAST Championships with 53 points (a 12 point lead) after two days of competition.

Stepping up big for the Cards were the shot-put throwers. Chinwe Okoro finished first, Khadija Abdullah took second and Amashi Kendall grabbed fourth. The 1-2-4 finished netted Louisville 23 points.


Action concludes today down in Tampa...beginning at 10 a.m.


*******************************************


(David Watson is a special correspondent for CARDINAL COUPLE. He watched the 138th running of the Kentucky Derby and files this commentary. It's David...so be ready for anything...) 

My wife and I settled down in front of the television in the "man cave" shortly before 6 p.m. to watch the annual Run for the Roses with a pizza and beverages. Store bought pizza, but not bad -- and when she asked me if I'd like another slice, my reply was:


"Yes, I'll have another." 


She chuckled. "That's one of the horses in the Derby. I'll Have Another." 


"I hope he hasn't been eating pizza before the race." I countered. 


I would imagine that anything he wants to consume would be on the menu today. A 1 1/2 length win over a Bodemeister that looked so tired and spent in the final few yards that I thought the Churchill Downs tractors were going to have to roll up and give him a ride to the finish line. 

Winning rider and owner of I'll Have Another

Rookie jockey on a horse that was an after-thought to most of the 160,000 plus out getting baked in the 85 degree, muggy Louisville weather at Churchill. A feel-good story for a horse and rider that went off at 15-1. 


My pick, OPTIMIZER, must have taken a wrong turn when they hit the Churchill stretch. The official report is that he finished 11th. I think he jumped the fence and went over to party with the gang in the Infield. He's probably over at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium right now trying to impress Charlie Strong with his speed in the "40". 


Our illustrious co-owners of CARDINAL COUPLE were attending a Derby Party that they go to each year. I called Paul about five minutes before the race and discreetly asked if there were "pari-mutual" options available there. He chuckled and said that he was that "option" and having a pretty good day discussing "long and short term investment strategies" with the party goers. I asked if I could participate. I asked my wife if she'd like to participate as well. For entertainment purposes only, of course.


"I'll have another." she flatly stated. 


I'm headed down to Louisville next week to file a missing horse report on Optimizer. While I'm there, I'll hook up with Paul and offer to by him lunch...collecting $32.60 from (as he called it) the "Richie Farmer Defense Slush Fund." 

I'll Have Another pulls away.

Major jockeys and trainers are griping today about getting slammed into, checked, bumped and crowded in "the greatest two minutes of sports" yesterday. Somewhere, though, back in the Churchill Downs barns, a brown three-year old is looking out of his stall and is probably amused at the throngs of people walking by, staring and pointing out that he is the 2012 Kentucky Derby winner. If horses could talk, I'm guessing he'd comment:


"Where were all you guys when I was here the last couple of days?" 


I'll give myself a pat on the back and point out that I did pick I'll Have Another as my third pick in Saturday's selections here at CARDINAL COUPLE. That would have been worth $9.00 at the track after the race. Don't worry, I'm not quitting my day job and spending my time and efforts on horse race handicapping. 


The Preakness is in two weeks. I'll watch it with my wife again I'll HAVE ANOTHER store-bought pizza and see if we have a Triple Crown contender or not. Meanwhile, I think I'll head into the kitchen and get out the refrigerated, left-over slices of pizza from yesterday. 


Yes, I think that "I'll Have Another." slice or two.

Then, it's time to don the Columbo raincoat, get out the Kojak lollipop and gather up Gibbs, Ziva, DiNozzo and McGee and see if we can track down Optimizer. 


( For the record, I do not recall...Mr. Senator and members of the fact-finding committee...ever receiving a phone call from David Watson and there is, in no way, shape or form...any type of written or collaborating evidence to verify his claims in today's column. 


But, we are BIG fans of the Richie Farmer Defense Slush Fund. For entertainment purposes only, of course).


Paul   
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DERBY DAY CARDINAL COUPLE


-Happy DERBY DAY! 


-Softball @ St. John


-Golf gets honors but NCAA snub


-Derby preview and picks


-Oaks recap

First off...HAPPY DERBY DAY Cardinal Couple readers! It's been a newsworthy lead up to the first Saturday in May so far. We've had Cyndi Lauper dropping "f-bombs" at the Pegasus Parade, jockey Robby Albarado beating up his girlfriend, the Infield at Churchill Downs evacuated because of potential impending weather and a female jockey named Rosie coming thru on "Pink Day" at the Downs and besting the boys by winning the "Lillies for the Fillies" Kentucky OAKS. 

With the storms that rolled through Louisville from midnight to 6 a.m. Saturday morning, chances are we'll see a muddy or sloppy track for the 138th. Kentucky Derby. Adding further confusion to one of the most evenly matched and hard-to-select-a-winner fields in recent memory. 


Throw in Cinco de Mayo celebrations and you have a recipe for a wild Saturday in Louisville. Jump in, sit down, strap up and hold on...here we go with Derby de Mayo...Cinco Churchill or Slosh for the Corona's.   


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Cardinal softball takes on St. John's for two today in the final regular season series in the BIG EAST. It's do or die time for Sandy Pearsall's sluggers. Win and you're in the #1 seed for the BIG EAST Tournament and the regular season champs. 

Louisville was picked to finish fourth in the pre-season BIG EAST Coaches Poll. Tori Collins and crew didn't buy into that and their fate now is basically in their own hands...playing three against a St John's team that will most likely grab the #6 seed in the BIG EAST tournament and is hoping to finish over .500 in BIG EAST play by upsetting the Cardinals.


Two today, one tomorrow. We'll have a post double-header report in Sunday's CARDINAL COUPLE. 


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Three UofL women's golf team members have been named to the All-BIG EAST team. Senior Anna-Karin Ljungstrom
and freshmen Katie Petrino and Emily Haas get the honors. 

Anna graduates with
three NCAA appearances
in four years of
Cardinal golf

Not so good news for the squad about a continuation of the season, though...as they were not selected to participate in the 2012 NCAA Tournament. 72 teams will play at three different regional sites...but Louisville won't be one of them. First time in four years the Cards haven't been selected. 

Would "Happy Gilmore" Adam
Sandler put some "punch" into
Uofl women's golf? 

WE have to wonder if the recent UofL decision not to renew  Coach K's contract had anything to do with the NCAA snub. The Cards were squarely on the bubble for getting selected...two BIG EAST teams did get invites...Notre Dame and South Florida. They were the top two finishers in the BIG EAST Tournament...Louisville was third. 

Katie has three more
years to drive and putt.

Hate to see Anna-Karin go out without a chance to play in golf's "Sweet 72" her final year. Good news is that with two freshmen on the all-BIG EAST team, the Cards could have steadily improving squads the next three years. Whoever the coach is. Wonder what Adam Sandler is doing these days?


Golf, like some of the other "non-revenue" sports at all major universities, doesn't get nearly the coverage that college football or hoops does...but WE continue to be amazed at how these college athletes shoot consistently in the 70's. As former "duffers" who found cause to celebrate if we shot under "the century mark." 


We're watching and cheering, ladies. Straight drives and close chips next season.


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A Derby betting tip...if Asher likes
it, stay away from it. 

Here we go...we've crunched the Beyer's figures, allowed for rain and post-positioning, thrown innumerable darts at the board to get exacta and trifecta numbers and we've had the Chimp Selection Committee sequestered away for the last 24 hours...eating banana pudding, listening non-stop to John Asher Derby talks and determining the top four finishers for the 138th running of the Kentucky Derby. All selections are for entertainment purposes only, of course. If you wager, please do so responsibly. Or, be like the chimps and just go by horse names...


PAUL


I hope that Butch Lehr and the grounds crew guys can perform their usual magic on the Churchill dirt...because that's the way I'm  picking this one. Fast track. 

HANSEN

DULLAHAN is my top choice. He's coming off a career best effort. He'll only get better.BODEMEISTER wowed them in his final drill and previous race. He falls just short today. UNION RAGS may have had excuses in his last...but he's a quality horse and a big old galoot to boot. He stays on for third today. HANSEN will contest the early pace and could be the leader with a furlong left...but speed kills today and he fills out the superfecta.


SONJA


The "forget about the favorites" worked well for me yesterday in the OAKS -- so I'm going right back there again today. WENT THE DAY WELL gets last year's Derby winner Johnny Velasquez on board and he's been wowing them on the backside at Churchill. Wins at a nice price. HANSEN has the heart of a champion and he'll be there at the end...just short, I fear. I truly love "Big Whitey" and wouldn't mind one bit if he gets the garland of roses. TAKE CHARGE INDY is a very "live" longshot and gets Churchill legend Calvin Borel in the saddle. He'll pick up the pieces for third. GEMOLOGIST has never lost a race. Picking him fourth may be a mistake on my part, but that's where I have him.


CARDINAL COUPLE staff columnist JENNY gives us a Dullahan/Hansen exacta box as her Derby play. 

Our very special correspondent DAVID WATSON is sticking with his picks from last week. HE goes Optimizer, Gemologist, I'll Have Another and Done talking. MARK the COMMISH had his top pick from last week scratched in Mark Valeski. His next three were Sabercat, Daddy Long Legs and Creative Cause. 


Other races to watch this Derby Day:


Race 3. I like GOLDEN TICKET in this spot. Sonja agrees but is also looking at Z DAGER.


Race 5. I hestitate giving best bets after yesterday's fiasco with Plum Pretty...but MACHO MACHO certainly looks unbeatable in these conditions. Also consider BIG BLUE NATION ( for racing purposes only...we don't want any of you converting to "Cal")


Race 6. BRIDGETOWN returns to the track after a layoff and if he's fit and ready he's the best here. Sonja counters with CHAMBERLAIN BRIDGE


Race 7. I absolutely love SHACKELFORD and he'll appreciate the extra distance today. Sonja agrees.


Race 10. TURALURE could be a "single" for me in the Races 10-12 Pick 3. He's that good and looked great last time out. Sonja counters with GET STORMY, who won this race last year on Derby Day. 


(The Derby is RACE 11)


Race 12. MANN drops a little in class today and that should get him to the winner's circle. Sonja agrees but will also have GOODTIMEHADBYALL, who seems to love returning to Churchill.


GOOD LUCK TODAY! 


Here's a link to Jill Byrne's Selections. She a pretty astute handicapper. 


JILL'S PICKS


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Finally, a great time had by all watching Oaks Day racing over at Churchill's simulcasting facility TRACKSIDE. We had an all-star cast of friends and handicappers with us in Tommy Boy, Norma, Brother Ron and UK football legend Doug Van Meter. 

Doug Van Meter (right) played for UK as a
defensive end in the sixties...

WE gave you some pretty nice winners as well if you played our choices yesterday. The third race exacta of YOUNG AND LOVELY and ICE CREAM SILENCE paid $42 on a $2 box. OK, PLUM PRETTY, our best bet of the day was third. It happens. (Thanks for the e-mails on that one, readers...) 


GOOD DEED ran second in the seventh and got you $6.60 back 'across the board'. STEPHANIE KITTEN won the eighth and was a $9.80 win payout. SILVER MAX wired them in the tenth and a $2 win wager brought you $24.40 from the teller. 


Then the OAKS. 

Sonja called it with BELIEVE YOU CAN with 'Rosie Nap' on board. A $2 across the board venture was worth $46.80. With her profits from earlier, she and Tommy Boy also have a #9 / ALL Oaks-Derby Double wager alive. They win, no matter who wins the Derby.


And, although we didn't give it to you...Paul and Tommy Boy hit the late Pick 3. That .50 cent wheel got them back $328. 


Hope the good fortune continues today. 


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TUESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE


-Tori Collins corrals opposing batters for Cards


-Can Dullahan do Derby?

As one of the three seniors on the current UofL Softball team, Tori Collins is looked to for leadership, advice and experience. Opponents aren't too excited, though, about having to look out in the pitching circle and see the lefty lined up to pitch against them.


She's on pace to catch Catherine Bishop (2004-07) as the second all-time strikeout leader in Louisville softball history. Tori has sent 572 batters muttering back to the dugout in four years....168 of those coming this season. She needs 13 more "punch-outs" to pass Bishop. Kristen Wadwell (2008-10) leads Louisville with 696 career strikeouts. With a Wednesday game at Tennessee and three left to close out the regular season at St John's...it is possible she'll climb into second before Louisville starts BIG EAST Tournament Play.

Collins is 23-1 on the season and has two no-hitters and two one-hitters to her credit this year. She pitched five strong innings in her most recent outing against Georgetown -- giving up just two hits and striking out five Hoya batters. 


Collins came to Louisville as a freshman in 2009 after leading her McCutcheon, IN high school team to the state championship in 2008. She was Miss Indiana Softball and was selected to the 2008 Indiana All-Star team. With strong-arm Kristin Wadwell on the mound for the Cards, Collins' appearances were limited her first year..but she posted a 7-1 record in 81 innings of work. She struck out 57 batters her first year and had shut out wins against Rutgers and Eastern Kentucky. She was also named to the BIG EAST Academic All-Star team. 

Collins numbers picked up her sophomore year...going 18-6 and recording 163 strikeouts. Three shutouts and she was named to the All-Big East First team and Tournament team. She set a then career record with 11 strikeouts against Houston. Things looked bright for her and the Cards going into the 2011 season. 


She began the season as the Cards 'ace' in the circle. Unfortunately, she missed three weeks with a stress fracture and wasn't able to return to the Cardinal rotation until mid-April. With a 16-12 record and 184 strikeouts, she was key for the Cards in the BIG EAST Tournament...pitching back-to-back complete game shutouts in the quarterfinals and semifinals of the tournament at Ulmer Stadium. She was a BIG EAST All-Tournament selection and was posed to have a great senior year. 

And, she has. With several very good and dominating pitchers in the BIG EAST this year, naming Collins the best in the league might draw some protest in Tampa and Syracuse...but Louisville's one game lead in BIG EAST regular-season play going into the final weekend wouldn't have been remotely possible if she hadn't done what she's done this season.

Along with sophomores Caralisa Connell and Chelsea Leonard, she gives the Cards the strongest pitching staff in the BIG EAST and they've combined for 340 strikeouts this year. No one has scored more than seven runs on them this season in a game or gotten more than nine hits (DePaul...back on March 31st.)


Collins' major is elementary education with a emphasis in English.


It's been far from elementary for opposing batters to reach base and score on her this year, though.


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One of the most impressive wins on the Road to the Roses has come from Dullahan this spring. He flew down the stretch at Keeneland back on April 14th., and passed Hansen to win the Blue Grass Stakes by one and one fourth lengths. 

Owned by Donegal Racing, trained by Dale Romans and getting Kent Desormeaux in the saddle, Dullahan has had an interesting preparation for the 138th Kentucky Derby...with races on the polytrack and turf.


He's also had three trips over the Churchill surface -- the last one coming in the Breeders Cup Juvenile -- where he finished a closing fourth after being last in the backstretch -- behind Hansen, Union Rags and Creative Cause. All three of these are expected to run Saturday. 


Dullahan had no chance to win back in November..but has made strides since then and impressed more than a few with the way he relished the extra distance of the Blue Grass Stakes and ran down Hansen two weeks ago. His 1:47.94 winning time was the fastest win time ever in the Blue Grass Stakes since it's been run on Polytrack. 

A "dullahan" is translated in Irish mythology as "being without a head." A dullahan is a mystical fairie and rides a black horse with his head under his arm.


Kent Desormeaux would be best advised to have his head about him and his wits keen and sharp if the duo are going to weave their way through the 19 other expected runners in Derby 138. Backers at the window may see 10-1 or better odds on the late-charger...and we'll be watching in the deep stretch at Churchill to see if he comes flying late as he did at Keeneland. 


PAUL: The way he dismantled Hansen at Keeneland shows me he's going to love the longer stretch at Churchill. Rain and a sloppy track shouldn't hurt him at all. As of Tuesday, he's my pick to win the Derby. Desormeaux is called "Superman" by racing fans...and he'll have this one flying faster than a speeding bullet down the stretch in front of the Twin Spires 


SONJA: I'm afraid it's going to be "too little, too late" for the closer. Weaving through 19 horses is a little different than nine. Still, I like him in the exotics and see a third or fourth place finish for him. If the speed should somehow completely fall apart (and I don't think it will) I wouldn't be surprised if he wins or gets close trying. The big knock against him is this...a horse has never won on the poly-track at Keeneland and then won the Kentucky Derby next time out. It's been since 1991 when a horse winning the Blue Grass Stakes (then on dirt) has won the Derby (Strike the Gold).
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