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. 


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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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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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FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE


-Softball Cards take on St. John this weekend


-BIG EAST Track and Field Championships


-Churchill Thursday


-OAKS picks


Louisville softball closes out the BIG EAST regular season with three games on the road against St. John's beginning Saturday. The Cards have a chance to win the BIG EAST regular season title if they can win in Queens. 


The Top 4 in the BIG EAST:


1) Louisville          17-2
2) South Florida    16-3
3) Notre Dame      13-3
4) Syracuse          15-4

Obviously, if the Cards can get the broom out on the Red Storm and sweep the series, they are the BIG EAST regular season champs. If they lose, their chances of taking the title will be determined by how the three below them do. South Florida is at Syracuse for three games this weekend. Notre Dame travels to Pitt for their final three games of the regular season. 


The South Florida vs. Syracuse games are ones to keep an eye on. Syracuse could actually move to second in the conference if they can win two of the three against the Bulls and Notre Dame falls in one of their games against the Panthers. 

The scheduling of BIG EAST games is a bit of a mystery. Louisville did not play either Syracuse or Notre Dame during the regular season. They did defeat South Florida twice in a double-header April 18th. at Ulmer Stadium


For the Cards...as Oakland Raiders guru Al Davis used to say:


"Just win, baby." 


Game times are noon and 2 p.m. on Saturday and 2 p.m. on Sunday. 


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Louisville Track and Field begins competition in the BIG EAST Outdoor Championships today. The three-day events are being held at the USF Track and Field Stadium on the campus of the University of South Florida in Tampa. 


The Cardinal women are looking for their fifth-straight BIG EAST Outdoor title. No one has matched this streak in the history of BIG EAST track. 


Cardinals we expect to do well:


-- Michelle Theophille in the high jump and Charachesicia Lockhart in the long jump and triple jump.


-- Chinwe Okoro, Khadija Abdullah and Amashi Kendall in the shot put and discus. 


-- Jenna Wargo in the javelin. 


-- Holly Knight in the 5000m and 10000m distance events. 


-- Ahlivia Spencer in the 800m.


-- Margret Harris in the 100m.


You can follow the action up-to-the-minute from the team's Twitter account at:


Louisville Track and Field twitter

www.twitter.com/louisvilletrack


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Brother Ron, Norma and Susan Stidham

Thursday was Turf Club Day for your intrepid CARDINAL COUPLE co-owner Paul at Churchill. Yeah, it's a dress-up kind of day and I sit at Bread Boy's table up there and watch the movers and shakers, titans of industry and posers hob-knob. The best part of the day, besides watching Bread Boy work the crowd like a politician on the campaign trail is seeing the St. Louis boys Alan and Vince. 


So, armed with Friday's racing form (yeah, I bought the wrong day's form Thursday morning) I stopped by to pick up Tommy Boy and we hit the track. Before taking the magical elevator to the third floor, we stopped in Champions to see a few people and get a Irish coffee. 


I was pleasantly surprised to run into my pal Christy in there. She's probably the closest thing I have to a sister in this world and she was working there yesterday as a mutual clerk. We caught up on things and then it was up to the third floor. 

St. Louis Vince and Tommy Boy

The boys from St. Louis were in rare form and were still chuckling about last year's meeting and the legendary time they had with Tommy Boy and I. We had a little racing luck...hitting the first Pick Three of the day and the second Pick 4. I also caught a sleeper at 8-1 when Brian Hernandez, Jr. took the field by surprise and won the 5th. race on Canook. I really liked his chances and sunk a fairly sizable wager on him to win, place and show. $18.60 was the win payout and Canook paid $29.80 on a $2 across the board venture. 

Bruce and Tommy Boy have decided they don't
need the tops of their heads anymore...(or I took the
picture wrong) Whatever. 

I also got downstairs to see my buddies Norma, her brother Ron and Susan Stidham. 


A great day at the track with good friends and another afternoon where I left with my pockets full of cash. 


The evening ended up with the boys at Mulligan's having a celebration toast and pizza. Then, home to Sonja and a recap of the day's events before happily nodding off to sleep before the 11:00 news. 


Good times.


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OK...you've waited patiently for them and now will be rewarded. Here are Sonja and Paul's picks for the Kentucky Oaks today. We've also listed a few horses that we think will do well in other races on the Friday card. Selections listed here are for entertainment purposes only and we remind you wager responsibly.


Paul


I mentioned earlier in the week that I thought this was a two-horse race and I'm still going with that statement. ON FIRE BABY and GRACE HALL will finish first and second. Their also coming out of the #1 and #2 post positions and Churchill has really been favoring horses on the rail this week. Especially in the stretch. I honestly can't choose between the two, so I'm just going to do an exacta box with them. 
Third place? That's a toughie...but I'll suggest either Summer Applause or Broadway's Alibi. Good luck


Sonja


I'm going to steer clear of Paulie "Captain Obvious" theory and try to get a price in the Oaks. Put me down for Believe You Can and Eden's Moon. I'll defer and use On Fire Baby and Grace Hall in any exotics I attempt -- but I'm going across the board on my first two picks and hope I get paid for the risk. Have a great Oaks Day, readers! Time to go to the track! 


You might also keep an eye on:


Race 3 -- Ice Cream Silence and Young and Lovely.


Race 6 -- Plum Pretty (best pick of the day)


Race 7 -- Good Deed


Race 8 -- Stephanie's Kitten and More than Love


Race 10 -- Gung Ho and Silver Max


Finally, this classic column (courtesy of Eric Crawford - Courier Journal) from the late, great Mike Barry. 


LINK:
So you want to read the Racing form?


(We'll have Derby picks tomorrow)
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WEDNESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE


-Softball travels to Tennessee (and loses 8-1)


-WBB: Walz offers 6'3" Andrijana Cvitkovic


-The Kentucky Oaks: A two horse race? 


GAME FINAL...Tennessee 8 - Louisville 1


The #5 Lady Vols tag three Louisville pitchers for 10 hits and eight runs in a win at Knoxville Wednesday night.


#8 Louisville managed just two hits against junior Ivy Renfroe and sees their 18 game win streak end. Louisville goes to 47-3 with the loss.


The Cards scored in the second inning and it was 1-1 after two...but U.T. exploded for four runs in the bottom of the third, two in the fifth and a final run in the sixth for the win. 


It is the highest hit and run production against the Cards this season. 1511 in attendance tonight. 


The game was a make-up game from a rain-out back in early March. 


Wouldn't want to be on that bus headed back up I-75 tonight...


WE'LL have a full recap in the Thursday edition of CARDINAL COUPLE. 


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The University of Louisville softball team travels to Knoxville today to play the Tennessee Lady Vols in a 6 p.m. game. U.T. is ranked #5 or #7 in the nation, depending which poll you go by and Louisville is #8 or #9. We can safely say it's a top 10 match-up. 

Non-conference games like this at the end of the season usually don't account for a whole lot...but this one peaks interest for a couple of reasons. 


-- Win streaks on the line. One of these two will see their winning streak end. The Cards have won their last 18, U.T. their last 17. The streaks are the two longest right now in college softball. 


-- Cards look to end the drought. UofL is 0-4 against the Lady Vols lifetime. They last met in the NCAA Regionals back on May 23rd, 2010 in Knoxville. Extra innings until UT broke a 1-1 tie in the ninth to defeat the Cards 3-1. 

These two were scheduled to meet back on March 3rd. in Knoxville in the Tennessee Classic...but rain postponed the game. 


We wonder...


-- Will Tori Collins get the start? UofL has a very important three game, regular ending season visit to St. John's this weekend. Do you risk pitching your ace against the Lady Vols or rest her up for a series that you hopefully will sweep to win the regular season title?


-- How will the Cardinal bats fare against the first Top Ten opponent Louisville has faced this year? Kristin Austin is batting .408 for the season. Over .400 is a rarity anymore in college softball. Taner Fowler isn't too far behind at .378 and Alicja Wolny close to those two at .364. 

-- Which Renfroe will the Cards face in the pitching circle? It's been a sister act this year for Tennessee when it comes to hurlers. Sophomore Ellen Renfroe is 26-3 on the year and Junior Ivy Renfroe is 18-6. They hail from Jackson, TN. and Trinity Christian Academy. 

Good barbecue in Jackson. Been a few years since we've been down there. Wonder if Brooksie's Barn is still as fantastic as it was last time we were there? It's a "must stop" if you're ever in the area...go hungry.

Should be a good one. CARDINAL COUPLE will try to post the final tonight as soon as the contest ends.


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Add another name to the 2013 UofL women's basketball recruit watch-list. 6'3" Andrijana Cvitkovic is a junior post player at Culver (IN) Girls Academy. This one is ironic...because we were taking a look at BIG 10 recruiting the other night and her name seemed to appear on about half the schools' wish list. Add Louisville to the suitors...Walz offered her yesterday. 


Originally from Croatia, "A.C." is expected to probably play at power forward in college. She does possess a nice outside jumper and is said to be able to punish teams from the high post. 


CARDINAL COUPLE writer and recruiting expert Jenny O' Bryan muses:

this picture is Stephanie, not Jenny...

Does this mean that the Cards are lessening up on efforts to land Stephanie Mavunga?


The 6'3" junior forward from Brownsburg, IN is on just about everyone's "got to get her" list and was the 2012 P.O.Y. in Indiana Girls' High School basketball, according to ESPN.


WE don't think that this is a sign that Louisville has lost interest in Stephanie. Instead, we see it as a sign that Walz is looking to add even more depth and skill to the Cards that will be back to patrol the paint in 2013-14. Remember, Asia Taylor will have graduated by then. Vails and Slaughter will be seniors that year. Hammond and Dyer juniors and Walton a sophomore. 


Depth is good. Height is great. Go after the big girls, Jeff. Get as many as you can. 


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We've given you a lot of Derby coverage so far (hope you're reading Darren Rogers) but we're going to look at the 138th running of the Kentucky Oaks today. The "Lillies for the Fillies" takes place on Friday, May 4th. 

The post position drawing was held yesterday and it looks like a full field of 14 three year old fillies, plus one 'also eligible', will compete over the Churchill track at a mile and one eighth. 


We'll make no bones about it. WE see this as a two horse race. On Fire Baby and Grace Hall have distanced themselves from the rest of this field, in our opinion, and will most likely be bet down to 5-2 odds or lower. 


Just for argument's sake...or in case you're looking to fill out a trifecta...who might be there if these two fall apart? 


We'll offer Broadway's Alibi, Summer Applause and Jemima's Pearl as choices to contend for third place.


I got into a bit of a "discussion" about the two Bob Baffert horses in the Oaks last night with a Churchill "regular". He's thinking Jemima's Pearl and Eden's Moon both hit the board at a big price. Honestly, I just don't see it...but a "back-up" wager on the two might not be a bad idea. 

For once...(Oh, Lord...it's a miracle!) Sonja and I are in complete agreement on a horse race. We only differ on who we think will finish third. Give me Broadway's Alibi...she's looking at long-shot Karlovy Vary. As far as who we think will win between Grace Hall and On Fire Baby...we'll wait until Oaks Day to decide that. 


Honestly, it's just too close to call right now...we'll look for developments over the next few days and give them a close scrutiny in the paddock before the race. 


Take a look for yourself. We've got links for the two in their most recent races. 


On Fire Baby


Grace Hall
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Run For The Roses By Dan Fogelberg. HAPPY 137th. KENTUCKY DERBY

We wish a HAPPY DERBY DAY! to all our readers. As we traditionally do on the first Saturday in May...the beautiful Run For The Roses by Dan Fogelberg is featured on today's column. Click on it and try not to cry...a beautiful song about life..as well as the Kentucky Derby...from a man whose life was tragically cut short way before his time.

A pretty lady with a great hat who sat next to us at the
Kentucky Oaks yesterday

Another pretty lady...the lovely Sonja in front of our
seats at the Oaks

A few pictures from yesterday's Kentucky OAKS below as well....a good day at the track despite not picking the winner of the KENTUCKY OAKS race. Hats off to Bob Baffert who brought in PLUM PRETTY ready to go and held off a late charge from jockey Rosie Napranvik on St. John's River to win the Oaks.

The historic twin spires of Churchill Downs. Despite
occasional cloudy weather, it never rained on us. WE like!

The Breast Cancer Survivor's Parade between the tenth and eleventh
races on the Churchill Downs track. Our hands are sore from
clapping for these brave survivors...

Today's Derby will be a wide open affair...especially now that UNCLE MO has scratched from the race. DIALED IN will probably go off as the favorite...but a lukewarm one at that. We watched a so called "experts" show on the Kentucky Derby last night and six people came up with six different horses that they thought might win! We heard BRILLIANT SPEED, NEHRO, DIALED IN, MASTER OF HOUNDS, ANIMAL KINGDOM and SOLDAT...so even the folks who do this for a living are unable to reach a consensus.

We'll return to our coverage of UofL women's sports tomorrow...along with Happy Mother's Day thoughts and a brief recap of the Kentucky Derby. From Paul, Sonja, David, Tom and the staff Chimps...have a great day and thanks for letting us "talk Derby" for awhile!

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A short story containing the names of all the horses entered in the Derby...

I Dialed In to the Mucho Macho Man and said, "Watch Me Go have a Midnight Interlude at the Animal Kingdom with the Master of Hounds."

" A Decisive Moment he said...don't get your Pants On Fire over his Brilliant Speed and Stay Thirsty. Archarcharch has Twice The Appeal of Santiva, who was Soldat Toby's Corner prices. Comma to the Top of Churchill with Uncle Mo Shackelford to my Twinspired view of the Derby... which Nehro will win.."

Schimmel invited to USA Basketball U19 World Championship Tryouts.

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FRIDAY @ C.C.

The freshman Louisville guard will compete in the tryouts
with UofL target Bria Smith

-Shoni one of 35 invited to tryout camp

-Women's Golf 10th after East Regional 1st round.

Lady Card freshman guard Shoni Schimmel has been invited to the USA Basketball U19 World Championship Team Trials. She'll compete with 34 other invitees from May 22-25 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, CO. The training camp for the team begins June 1st. at the ESPN Sports Complex in Lake Buena Vista, FL. They'll play an exhibition game against the Brazil U19 team on June 5th, which will be shown online at ESPN3.

Other invitees out of the 35 headed to the tryouts include Cardinal target Bria Smith, Bria Hartley (UConn), Odyssey Sims (Baylor), Alyssa Thomas (Maryland) and Meighan Simmons (Tennessee).

Schimmel was second leading scorer for the Cards in the 2010-11 season with 15.1 points a game. She was named first team Freshman All-American by Full Court Press and was on the BIG EAST All-Freshman team. She'll be the subject of the documentary film "Off the Rez" which will be shown on TLC on Saturday May 14th.

Sounds like a busy summer for the former Umatilla Reservation resident. If selected, she'd play in games in Chile from July 21-31.  A great honor and opportunity for "Showtime" and the UofL women's basketball team.

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Anna-Karin Ljungstrom was even par
until the 13th hole yesterday.

Sara-Maude Juneau fired a first round 72 to lead the Cards to a 10th place standing in the NCAA East Regional at the LPGA International Golf Course in Daytona Beach, FL. The Cards shot a 301 total and are 15 strokes back of leader Coastal Carolina after Day 1.  Sophomore Anna-Karin Ljungstrom carded a 75 for Louisville and is tied for 39th place.  Junior Maria Castellanos had a 76, Laura Anderson took 78 strokes...hindered by a triple bogey on the fourth hole. Tara Lyons finished with a 79...victim of a triple bogey on the #14th hole.

The top eight team in the region advance to the NCAA Championship on May 18-21 at the Traditions Club in Bryan, TX.

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Happy Oaks Day to all our readers!

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