Exeter named rookie of the year and BREEDERS CUP!

FRIDAY CARDINAL COUPLE:

-Exeter named BIG EAST Soccer Rookie of the Year

-Sara-Maude Juneau named BIG EAST Golfer of the Month

-Field Hockey ready for UConn in BIG EAST Tournament

-OUR BREEDERS CUP picks

Christine Exeter, pictured here, was selected as the rookie of the year in BIG EAST women's soccer at the awards banquet last night held in Somerset, NJ. She also made the All-Rookie BIG EAST Team and fellow Louisville freshman Angelika Uremovich joined her on that squad. Exeter led the Cards with seven goals this year. Both Exeter and Uremovich are from Ontario and were key components in the Cardinal's season.

Uremovich sat out last year with a knee injury but as a redshirt freshman this year she tallied five goals, second best to Exeter, and three assists.

Photo courtesy of UofL Sports.

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

Sara-Maude Juneau was named the BIG EAST Golfer of the Month as the fall season comes to an end. She led the team with a 70.7 average. She participated in two tournaments in October with her Cardinal teammates. She finished with a 215 in the William K. Warren event hosted by Notre Dame and she won the individual tournament title. She had a 208 in the Tar Heel Invitational Oct 8-10th.and finished just three strokes off the lead.

Juneau leads a strong group of Cardinal golfers as they prepare for the spring season and is tied for the most wins in school history with current LPGA player Cindy LaCrosse.

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

Pam Bustin has the UofL Field Hockey team ready to go as the Cards will take place in the BIG EAST Tournament at Connecticut beginning Saturday. Louisville faces UConn in the first round. The Cards defeated the Huskies earlier this year in regular season play at Trager Stadium. As the 2nd seed, Louisville will have to get by the #3 seed Huskies to play either Syracuse or #4 seed for the championship. The match will be available for free on BIG EAST TV Saturday at 1:30 p.m., in case you get tired of watching Charlie Strong's football team beat up on Syracuse. (We hope.)

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

Six Breeders Cup races will be run today (Friday) as part of the 10 race card at Churchill Downs. Here's who we like. Information here is for entertainment purposes only. We'll probably get a big laugh over our poorly our picks do....

BREEDERS CUP MARATHON

We're big fans of Michelle Nihel's gray ghost PRINCE WILL I AM. The filly ran strong in the stretch to win the Jamaica Handicap at Belmont and Javier Castellano returns as jockey. AWESOME GEM will be roaring at the end of the 1-3/4 mile event and David Flores knows his mount quite well. GIANT OAK and A.U. Miner come out of the Greenwood Cup where they finished 1-2 and cannot be ignored.

BREEDERS CUP JUVENILE FILLIES TURF

WINTER MEMORIES has done nothing wrong in two lifetime starts and won the Miss Grillo Grade 3 race in a romp at Belmont in her last. Jose Lezcano returns as the rider. WYOMIA has won her last two at Woodbine and Rafael Bejarano takes the reigns on this long shot. Irish invader TOGETHER will love the Churchill Turf and is 6 for 7 in the money for cagey trainer Aiden O'Brien. Impressive Keeneland Jessamine Stakes champ KATHMANBLU destroyed the field at a longer distance and the combination of Julian Leparoux and Kenny McPeek on the turf make this runner a very live longshot. Have to also mention another longshot here...ALLURE D' AMORE for Wesley Ward and John Velazquez that the TVG guys are very high on.

BREEDERS CUP FILLY AND MARE SPRINT

INFORMED DECISION is 2 for 2 at Churchill and will appreciate the 7 furlongs with Julian Leparoux aboard. SARA LOUISE will be there to pick up the pieces if Informed Decision falters, SARA is also 2-2 at the Downs. Jamie Theriot gets the ride on DUBAI MAJESTY, a horse that has three wins in six attempts at Churchill. Beware of MY JEN at a huge price..she has 4 wins and a second in six lifetime starts and beat SARA LOUISE at Belmont. RIGHTLY SO will mostly likely be the favorite, will set the pace and they'll have to catch her with Corny Velasquez on board.

BREEDERS CUP JUVENILE FILLES

AZ WARRIOR rolled to the win in the Grade 1 Frizette and Alan Garcia return to ride for Bob Baffert. She'll handle the 1-1/16th distance easily. TELL A KELLY comes in from California for John Sadler and local legend Calvin Borel sits on top for this come from behind stretch runner. Beware of SOUNDWARE at a huge price. Three wins in a row and Robby Albarado, who has been tearing up Churchill so far in the Fall Meet gets the call. R HEAT LIGHTNING finished second to AZ WARRIOR last time out and will set the early fractions. If she gets too far ahead, they may not catch her.

BREEDERS CUP FILLY AND MARE TURF

Wave goodbye to MIDDAY if she gets the lead. The British visitor has won her last three overseas and is at the top of her game. Japanese entry RED DESIRE looked good in narrowly missing here in her first stateside race in the Grade 1 Flower Bowl and Kent Desormeaux returns as the rider. We love the works that longshot FOREVER TOGETHER has had here at Churchill and wouldn't be too surprised if she upsets at a price. Jonathan Sheppard is great at distance turf races. HARMONIOUS blew them out in the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth at Keeneland and Joel rosario return to guide for John Sherrifs, trainer for ZENYATTA.

BREEDERS CUP LADIES CLASSIC

BLIND LUCK and HAVRE de GRACE have been neck and neck the last two races they faced each other...each winning once...and that shouldn't change today. Todd Pletcher enters LIFE AT TEN and MALIBU PRAYER to try and upset here and longshot UNRIVALED BELLE gets tricky Kent Desormeaux.

Good luck and enjoy the day!

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.

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

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,

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

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!