Zenyatta romps in the Apple Blossom

The mare proved why she is the simply the best female in horse racing with an easy 4 1/2 length romp in Oaklawn's Apple Blossom Handicap. Jockey Mike Smith still believes he hasn't seen her best race yet.

One couldn't blame Zenyatta owner Jerry Moss if he was walking around the Oaklawn winner's circle humming the song from the movie Space Jam "I Believe I Can Fly" yesterday. Moss owns A&M Records and he's got a chart topper also in Zenyatta. His 4 year old filly seemed to have wings as she flew from last to first in the short Oaklawn stretch yesterday and blew by the competition in the $500,000 Apple Blossom Stakes at the Arkansas race track.


Maybe it's good Rachel Alexandra didn't show up to test the Street Cry mare yesterday in Hot Springs, AR. Zenyatta is running on all eight cylinders right now and it just doesn't matter if the racing surface is dirt, polytrack or even lime Jello...she confidently stalks the other horses in a race, knows when to make her move without any urging from jockey Mike Smith and then goes to work.

Sixteen wins in a row now for the horse named after a recording by The Police. Maybe she'll top the UConn women's basketball team's winning streak before she's through. No word on her next outing from trainer John Shireffs...but wouldn't it be great to have her at Churchill to maybe meet up with Rachel Alexandra on her favorite track?

Hoping for big things today in the Arkansas Derby from NOBLE'S PROMISE. Local trainer Kenny McPeek sends the hard luck 3 year old out as the probable favorite Saturday. NOBLE has had the misfortune of running against LOOKIN AT LUCKY the last several times out and narrowly going down to defeat. No LUCKY today in the Oaklawn field...but he'll face plenty of competition from DUBLIN, SUPER SAVER and NORTHERN GIANT in the 1 1/8 mile race that attracted 9 runners. Quite a rags to riches story here for the owners of NOBLE'S PROMISE...10 partners invested $1,000 each to buy the horse as a yearling. NOBLE has banked over $700,000 in earnings for the investors.

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Tough loss for Louisville lacrosse Friday to #13 Loyola at the Louisville lacrosse stadium. The Cards go down 17-10 after being tied with the Greyhounds 5-5 at the half. The Cards jumped out to an early 3-0 lead against the visitors but could not sustain the momentum and were outscored 12-5 in the second half.

Bergan Folly led Louisville with five goals but the deciding factor in the match was Louisville's inability to stop Loyola from scoring late in this one.

The Cards return to action Sunday hosting Big East foe Georgetown.

Written by Paul (who will be wearing his NOBLE'S PROMISE hat today) Happy Birthday Park!
4/10/10

Louisville lacrosse opens homestand Friday

Freshman goalie Danielle Pawliw was recently selected Big East defensive player of the week. The Plainview, NY product will tend the net against Loyola Friday at 1 p.m.

THE GIRLS ARE BACK IN TOWN...(the girls are back in town) With apologies to Thin Lizzy for the rewording of the classic rock song...Louisville's women's lacrosse team is finally off the road and ready to do battle this afternoon against the Loyola Greyhounds. Spread the word around...the girls are back in town...

(Who's Thin Lizzy? Google it and listen to a few downloads. Paul's thumbnail description of the band...They were a rough and tumble Irish hard rock band from the seventies. Give an ear to "Jailbreak" and "The boys are back in town") Whatever happened to the "wah wah" pedal, anyway?

Here's something you probably didn't know. Loyola is a member of the Big East. Don't expect the Maryland school to grace Charlie Strong's football schedule in the future or top the standings in Big East women's hoops...but they are a part of the Big East makeup at least in women's lacrosse and they visit Louisville today to kick off the Cards five game homestand. (Don't worry, Geno...you've got nothing to worry about until the cards get ready to play this upcoming hoops season. But, I digress.)

Loyola is not to be taken lightly. The Greyhounds narrowly lost to Notre Dame in their last game, falling 11-10 to an Irish goal with 6 seconds remaining in the game. Notre Dame topped the Cards 11-9 in South Bend earlier in the season. Loyola's Grace Gavin was named Big East offensive player of the week for her efforts against Cincinnati and the Irish.

Louisville (7-3) enters the game coming off a 17-10 road win against Longwood. Bergin Folly and Liz Lovejoy have been supplying the offensive punch lately for the Cards and Katie Oliverio leads Louisville with 21 assists.

Louisville is averaging 14.7 goals per game so far this season and allowing only 10.3 scores. After Loyola, the Cards will host Georgetown on Sunday. Jacksonville, Syracuse and Connecticut will also visit Louisville lacrosse stadium during the Cards' home schedule.

Admission is free for all Louisville lacrosse game. The lacrosse stadium is on Floyd Street, next to the YUM Center and not too far from the football Cards practice facilities, the Trager Center and Papa John's Cardinal Stadium.

If you've never attended a lacrosse match, you're missing out on a very fast paced and exciting game. I like to refer to it as "field hockey on steroids"...there's a lot more scoring, more shots on goal and a faster pace to the game. If it had been around when I was in high school, I definitely would have gone out for the team. (We were having a hard enough time getting bodies to show up for our field hockey team back in those days and some guy named Edison was touting something called electricity.)

Get out today and support your University of Louisville women's lacrosse team. Viggo Mortensen and Charlie Sheen will be making guest apperances at the game. (Just kidding...but still show up anyway!)

Spread the word around...the girls are back in town! I'll have that song stuck in my head all day now...

Written by Sonja
4/9/10