Can Zenyatta go 20 for 20?

SATURDAY AT C.C. :

-The "Big Girl" goes for No. 20

-Youman named BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Year.

-Swimming downs WVU

-Football faces Syracuse

Zenyatta, pictured here, faces the boys today in the Breeders Cup Classic. She's going for her 20th. win in 20 starts. WE think she'll get it today. More on the 'Cup at the end of today's articles. Photo copyrighted by Charles Pravata and a beauty of the "Big Girl"

Nicole Youman has been selected as the BIG EAST Field Hockey Offensive Player of the Year. The senior forward has 17 goals and 19 assists so far this season. that's good for top honors in the BIG EAST and sixth in the nation. Nicole was also selected to the all-conference first team, along with Cardinal teammates Hayley Turner and Rachel Hollenbach. Goalie Erin Conrad got second team honors.

The Cards begin BIG EAST play today...facing #3 UConn. Game is at 1:30 p.m. and can be seen on BIG EAST TV.

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The UofL swimming teams splashed past visitor West Virginia in a dual meet yesterday. For the ladies, the Cards swept the 200-medley relay and 100 yard backstroke early en route to a 186-105 victory over the 'Eers. Therese Bergstrom won the 100 breaststroke, Aileen Cole took the 50 and 100 free and Eszter Povazsay took the 200 backstroke. Louisville dives back into the Ralph Wright Natatorium again today against Pitt.

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Charlie Strong's 4-4 football Cards head to Syracuse without leading rusher Bilal Powell or starting QB Adam Froman in the lineup because of injuries. The 6-2 Orange have won their last two...over WVU and Cincy. Game time is noon.

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Yesterday's Breeders Cup was just plain cold and brutal yesterday if you happened to be outside. If you put $2 across the board on all our picks yesterday, you basically broke even. We did a little better than that, hitting a couple of exactas and a huge late Daily Double that paid $371.00 for a $1 wager. We spent considerably more that that to hit it...but the "all" with 1,4,5,10,11,12 $66 wager gave us a $305 profit and ended the day in a very nice way. Today's picks follow:

BREEDERS CUP JUVENILE TURF

MASTER OF HOUNDS looked great in 5 European races and gets Lasix for the first time today. AIR SUPPORT took to the turf quite well in the Grade 3 Pilgrim and Rajiv Maragh returns to ride for Shug McGaughey. MADMAN DIARIES will set the early pace and if Jeffrey Sanchez gets her too far ahead, they'll have a hard time catching the gelding. BANNED has two straight wins and will appreciate the early pace. He could sweep them all in the stretch.

BREEDERS CUP SPRINT

GIROLAMO will try to go wire to wire like he did in the Vosburgh win and Alan Garcia is one of the best sprint jockeys out there. BIG DRAMA stumbled last time out or he would be 3 for 3 and will fight for the early lead. The rail helps here. SMILING TIGER is another one that will contest for the early lead and Russell Baze has won on him 3 times. ATTA BOY ROY returns to the dirt where he has 3 wins and 2 close seconds. Having Calvin Borel on top doesn't hurt this closer's chances.

BREEDERS CUP TURF SPRINT

SILVER TIMBER roared past them in the Woodford and Julian Leparoux will try to do the same today. BRIDGETOWN comes out of the strong Kenny McPeek barn and will be flying late. STRADIVINSKY will try to take them wire to wire with Johnny Velazquez in the irons and CENTRAL CITY will go to the lead with him. Robby Albarado loves the Ronny Werner trained colts chances.

BREEDERS CUP JUVENILE

UNCLE MO is our best bet of the day. Velazquez has a monster under him and they won't catch him today. BOYS AT TOSCONOVA ran second here to start her career in the Ky Juvenile Cup and will make a race of it. BIONDETTI has won all three of his English races and will draw a huge price. Beware. STAY THIRSTY tries a mile and sixteenth for the first time but should love the extra distance.

BREEDERS CUP MILE

GOLDIKOVA will try to win this race for the third year in a row and she is in great form right now. Make it so. GIO PONTI is a dangerous foe and will be flying late under Ramon Dominguez. COURT VISION will be another late flyer and the colt seems to respond well when Albarado is on board. SIDNEY'S CANDY will be on or close to the lead and could last if the closers don't respond. Also, GET STORMY will want the lead here and is another that has wire to wire speed.

BREEDERS CUP DIRT MILE

COOL COAL MAN is my longshot special here. Leparoux has this horse's attention. Look out late. MORNING LINE will vie for the lead and has new jockey Javier Castellano excited about his chances. TIZWAY will track the pace and will be the probable favorite. MINE THAT BIRD returns to the track where he won the Kentucky Derby...Borel's off but Mike Smith will provide a good ride. This one could be a "all" button to start the late Pick 3...

BREEDERS CUP TURF

WORKFORCE has dominated the European circuit and will romp these if the turf is to his liking. DANGEROUS MIDGE is another European that can get out and go. He may get the lead and refuse to surrender it. BEHKABAD chased WORKFORCE in the Arc and will do the same today. AL KHALI is dangerous at a huge price and gets turf specialist Leparoux's services today. Honestly, if WORKFORCE doesn't go..it's wide open.

BREEDERS CUP CLASSIC

ZENYATTA will make her usual huge charge from way back in the stretch and pass them all again today for Mike Smith and John Shireffs. BLAME has won five of his last six, had three wins here at Churchill and will challenge. FIRST DUDE is poised to run a huge one for Dale Romans and Robby Albarado. If anyone can keep up witn Zenyatta in the stretch, it's "the Dude".

LOOKIN AT LUCKY has three wins in a row and is getting along well with rider Martin Garcia. Another stretch flyer than ZENYATTA will have to contend with.

Good luck to all and dress warmly if you go today

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!