Women's track wins BIG EAST Outdoor Championships, Softball falls, Kisha and Jen win Amazing race

MONDAY at the COUPLE

-McCarty leads UofL to track title

-Softball swept by Syracuse

McCarty wins three events at
BIG EAST Championships.

-Kisha and Jen Hoffman win Amazing Race.

-Bria Smith to announce May 12th. now?


 The University of Louisville women's track and field squad won the BIG EAST Outdoor Championships Sunday for the fourth year in a row yesterday at Villanova. D'Ana McCarty became only the fourth athlete in the BIG EAST to win three events...taking the discus yesterday...as well as the shot put and hammer throws on Saturday. No BIG EAST squad has ever won
four consecutive championships before until Louisville accomplished the feat this year. McCarty was responsible for 30 of the team's 117 points in the events.

The Louisville throwers did quite well in the discus...Khadija Abdullah took third, Chinwe Okoro fourth and Hannah Baker seventh. Rachel Gehert had a big day for the Cards as well, winning the high jump and scoring second in the triple jump. She was also part of the 4x100m relay team that finished third.

Ron Mann, UofL track and field coach, commented on McCarty...an Indianapolis native:

"I think it's fitting she has a billboard on the way from Indianapolis to Columbus with her picture on it. It's well deserved, and she deserves all the credit in the world. She has led this team for four years and she's done a great job.

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Cards go into the BIG EAST softball tournament as
the 5th seed after dropping three in a row to Syracuse.

Louisville softball can't seem to find the way to defeat superstar Syracuse pitcher Jenna Caira...losing to her and the Syracuse Orange for the third time in two days. Sunday's game went to the 'Cuse 5-2...a three run homer by Hallie Gibbs off Louisville pitcher Tori Collins in the bottom of the first inning being the most crippling blow. The Cards did manage to get within one run in the top of the third when Katie Keller singled and scored on a Chelsea Bemis single...but Louisville could not offer anymore offense after that and Syracuse (41-11, 15-5) added two insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth for the final.

The Cards (34-17, 12-7) head home to host the BIG EAST Tournament May 12-14. The Cards go into tournament play as the #5 seed and will face #4 USF Thursday at 6:30 p.m. The two schools did not meet in softball during the regular season. First day action looks like this:

Game 1. #3 Syracuse vs. #6 Pittsburgh. 10 a.m.
Game 2. #2 DePaul vs, #7 Rutgers. 12:30 p.m.
Game 3. #1 Notre Dame vs. #8 Providence. 4 p.m.
Game 4. #4 USF vs. #5 Louisville. 6:30 p.m.
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The champs!

Congratulations to former UofL Women's Sports athletes Kisha and Jen Hoffman for winning The Amazing Race and the $1 million dollar prize that goes along with it.

Kisha, age 30, was on the 2001-02 Louisville women's basketball team. She led the Cards in rebounds with 6.9 a game and had 13 games where she was the leading rebounder. She also averaged 11.4 points a game, second best for Louisville that season and had 17 games where she scored double figures. She transferred to Louisville from Western Illinois University. She is currently a basketball coach in the Bronx, NY.

Younger sister Jen, 26, is an assistant volleyball coach at UofL. Jen was an All-American volleyball player for UofL and played as a middle blocker in the 2003-06 seasons. She came to Louisville actually as a volleyball player that was better at basketball...but coach Leonid Yelin turned her leaping abiliy into success in the wide net sport. Both sisters are 6'2".

Kisha is the first lesbian, African-American women to compete on the show...it was the second appearance on The Amazing Race for the sisters...they finished 4th in 2009.

They were to receive their $1 million check on CBS's Early Morning Show on Monday Morning....the same network that televised the series.

Congratulations to the sisters!
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In a "tweet" on May 6th., Cardinal target Bria Smith stated that her college choice announcement might come on Thursday, May 12th. during a press conference. WE had originally reported that she would make the announcement May 10th., at a sports award banquet at B.B. King's Bar and Restaurant in New York, NY. Just goes to show how things can change...David Watson, special correspondent to CARDINAL COUPLE, weighs in on the Smith situation...

I'm not one to hold my breath when it comes to college recruiting and announcements. Can't tell you how many times over the years that I've been disappointed or surprised about the decision of a teenager. That brings us to the Bria Smith scenario. In case you're a novice to women's college basketball, let's catch you up. Bria Smith is a high school senior, a talented basketball player who has not decided where she wants to go to college. She did originally decide that the University of Virginia was where she wanted to attend. The women's basketball coach there, Debbie Ryan, decided to retire, though, and Bria withdrew her decision to attend the ACC school. There had been quite a few other schools interested in her prior to the Virginia decision and two of these, Louisville and Tennessee became front runners in the "bring Bria to campus" campaign. She did visit both schools. Oklahoma women's basketball head coach Sherri Cole went to see her. One of New York's newspapers proudly announced that Smith would announce her decision at their sports banquet on Tuesday, May 10th.

Not so fast...daily tabloid. Smith has recently tweeted that the impending decision will now come most likely on Thursday, May 12th. during a press conference. Someone check Jeff Walz, Pat Summit and Cole's schedule for that day. See if an airline trip has been booked. Camp out in the bushes and watch for the packing of a suitcase. Or, better yet...just wait for the eventual announcement. Enough is enough.

I tire, these days, of the mystery and mortification of the 'who's going where and why, when and for what reason' game. Like many pedestrian fans...I just want to hear about the baby and need no details of the labor pains. I can only encourage Ms. Smith to go where her heart tells her to this second time around in the recruiting sweepstakes. I hope it is Louisville. If it were me, I'd be headed to Hawaii. Four years of college in "the islands"? I'd be there in a heartbeat.

(David Watson is a special correspondent for CARDINAL COUPLE. We should point out that Ms. Smith has made no mention of Hawaii in her recruiting process and that David has probably watched too many episodes of HAWAII 5-0. Both the new and old television shows.)
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Softball loses at Syracuse. McCarty wins shot put...and more!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY SUNDAY TO
CARDINAL COUPLE READERS!

-Softball drops two to the 'Cuse

-McCarty takes shot put in BIG EAST

Championships.

-Golf finishes 12th in Regional

-Samantha Williams to Louisville?

-WE recap Derby (with a slight headache)

The University of Louisville softball team dropped a double-header at Syracuse yesterday that dropped them back into fifth place in the BIG EAST standings. Lack of bats was the culprit in the opener...the Cards going down 3-0 and lack of pitching the nemesis in Game 2 with a 9-5 loss.

Despite Tori Collins eight strike out, three hits allowed performance in the first game, the Cards could manage only five hits against Syracuse ace Jenna Caira. The 'Cuse got all they would need in the bottom of the first when Collins gave up a base loaded walk to make it 1-0. A two run blast in the fourth by Veronica Grant put the 3-0 final score on the board.

Louisville tried to rally in the sixth when Katie Keller and Jennifer Esteban reached on singles with one out...but Caira got the next two to end the inning. Louisville knocked on the door again in the seventh...with bases loaded with one out after Alicja Wolny and Esteban singled and Taner Fowler reached first after getting hit by a pitch...but Caira got the final two outs again without the Cards getting to the plate.

Chelsea Bemis smashed a three run homer but
it wasn't enough to get Louisville the win.

In game two, Louisville jumped out to an early 4-0 lead in the top of the first, aided by a Chelsea Bemis three run homer...but the Orange responded with two runs in the first and five runs off Tori Collins in the bottom of the second on back to back home runs from the 'Cuse to lead 7-4 after two.  

The Cuse outscored Louisville 2-1 the rest of the way...a solo homer by Katie Kohl in the bottom of the sixth securing the win.

The teams play again Sunday at 11 a.m.

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D'Ana McCarty won the shot put in second day competition in the BIG EAST Championships at Jumbo Elliott Track and Field Complex on the Villanova campus. The Cards fared well in the event...Khadija Abdullah taking second, Chinwe Okoro finishing third and Amashi Kendall seventh. The Louisville women's track team leads the Championships going into the final day by six over USF. 50-44.

Other Lady Cards having success were Rachel Gehert (2nd in the long jump finals) and Gabrielle Jackson (3rd in the 400 meter hurdles). Louisville's women have won the event each year since 2007. Good luck today....Lady Cards!

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Louisville women's golfers ended up in 12th. place in the NCAA East Regional. The top eight teams advanced to the Championships. Sara-Maude Juneau recorded the best finish for the Louisville team...a final day 71 that gave her a 220 over three days. Other Cardinal finishes:

Laura Anderson. 72 in her final 18 holes for a 222
Anna-Karin Ljungstrom. 74 final day and a 229 total.
Maria Castellanos. 79 third round for a 231.
Tara Lyons. 84 last round and a 240.

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Samantha Williams to the Lady Cards?
Rumors are that she is...

Rumor mills are linking Duke women's basketball assistant coach Samantha Williams with the open coaching position for the Lady Cards. Nothing out of the Louisville camp yet about this...Williams is highly regarded as a recruiting coordinator and has served four years for Joanne P. McCallie at Duke. McCallie originally hired Williams at Michigan State and Samantha moved to the ACC school with her when McCallie took the head coaching job in 2007.  

Williams graduated from Louisville Manual High School and was a Parade and Street and Smith All-American before going to Auburn to play for McCallie....then an assistant. When McCallie left to take the head coaching job at Maine...Williams remained at Auburn and had four outstanding years playing for the SEC school.

Louisville has an open assistant coaching position...created when assistant Bethann Ord accepted the head coaching job at Weber State. The Cards have three confirmed freshmen arriving on he UofL campus for the 2011-12 season in Esther Monny Niamke, Jude Schimmel and Sara Hammond and are waiting on a decision from Bria Smith...who reportedly is down to Louisville or Tennessee in her choices. She is expected to announce May 10th., at the New York Daily News Sports Awards banquet at B.B.King's Bar and Restaurant.
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The 137th Kentucky Derby has come and gone and, in a surprise upset, ANIMAL KINGDOM,  passed the field in the Churchill stretch and won by two lengths over Paul's choice NEHRO. Wagering for the day didn't go exactly as planned...Sonja's pick DIALED IN tuned out when the 19 runners turned for home.

Animal Kingdom was the best on Saturday
by winning the KY DERBY.

Paul took a nice profit on across the board wagering on NEHRU but a couple of exactas and trifectas failed to include Johnny Velazquez on the #16 ANIMAL KINGDOM.

 A nice return on investment if you had the 20-1 runner who hadn't raced on a dirt surface in four lifetime starts before trying the Derby. His win in the Spiral Stakes at Turfway on the polytrack was impressive...but most felt that no previous dirt track experience would keep him out of the winner's circle. Most were wrong.

Velazquez was primed and ready to go and we were very pleased to see him win the 9th race on 13-1 shot AIKENITE. It allowed us to "play on the track's money" the rest of the way. Another horse who parlayed a polytrack win in his last race to a win next time out on the dirt. Shoulda seen the signs...

ANIMAL KINGDOM and NEHRO are both headed to the second round of the Triple Crown of Horse Racing in two weeks...the Preakness...held at Maryland's Pimlico Race Track.
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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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Softball wins at Georgetown....Kentucky Derby post positions and OUR picks

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THURSDAY with the COUPLE:

-Softball wins one, gets one cancelled at Georgetown

Tori Collins tosses a one run, four hit game against the Hoyas

-Kentucky Derby post positions and odds

-WE pick 'em for the 137th Derby

Louisville won the first game yesterday in D.C.against the Hoyas after weathering a two hour rain delay 8-1. The second contest was cancelled because of travel commitments for the Cards....Louisville was up 3-1 in the fourth inning when the game was ended.

Taner Fowler and Kristin Austin stepped up big for Sandy Pearsall's crew....Fowler going 3-4 at the plate and driving in three runs. Austin went 2-3 and drove home four RBI's.

Louisville jumped on top 2-0 in the second inning when Alicja Wolny reached on a single and back-to-back errors allowed Maggie Ruckenbrod and Kristin Austin to fill the bases for the Cards. Freshman Hannah Kiyohara single home Wolny and Ruckenbrod. Louisville tacked on a third run in the third when Chelsea Bemis went to first after being hit by a pitch and came home on a Wolny single.

Georgetown posted their only run in the bottom of the third but the Cards made it 4-1 in the fourth when a Taner Fowler single got Austin home. UofL added two more runs in the sixth...Austin singled and scored on a Fowler double and Kiyohara touched the plate on a wild pitch with the bases loaded. The Cards completed the scoring in the seventh inning when Wolny singled, got to home on Fowler's second double of the game and Austin scored on a Katie Keller sacrifice fly.

Collins got the win for the Cards and goes to 14-6 on the season. Louisville is now 34-14 and 12-4 in the BIG EAST. They'll conclude the regular season this weekend with three games in Syracuse.

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The field is set for the 137th. Kentucky Derby. Post positions, jockeys and odds for the 20 runners:

1. Archarcharch. Jon Court  10-1
2. Brilliant Speed. Joel Rosario  30-1
3. Twice the Appeal.  Calvin Borel.  30-1
4. Stay Thirsty. Ramon Dominguez.  30-1
5. Decisive Moment.  Kerwin Clark.  50-1
6. Comma to the Top.  Pat Valenzuela.  30-1
7. Pants On Fire. Rosie Napravnik  30-1
8. Dialed In. Julian Leparoux. 4-1
9. Derby Kitten. Javier Castellano. 30-1
10. Twinspired. Mike Smith. 30-1
11. Master of Hounds. Garrett Gomez. 20-1
12. Santiva. Shaun Bridgmohan.  30-1

Stay Thirsty will break from the 4th
position at 30-1 odds. Dangerous.

13. Mucho Macho Man. Rajiv Maragh.  12-1

14. Shackelford. Jesus Castanon. 20-1

15. Midnight Interlude. Vic Espinoza.  12-1

16. Animal Kingdom.  Robby Albarado.  20-1
17. Soldat. Alan Garcia. 20-1
18. Uncle Mo. John Velazquez.  5-1
19. Nehro. Corey Nakatani.  6-1
20. Watch Me Go. Rafael Bejarano.  50-1

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After studying diligently and reviewing the post positions and past performances, WE'RE ready to toss some selections your way. We asked our special correspondent David Watson to join us this year with some picks...David doesn't follow the horses much...but is an avid reader of ESPN.com each day...so we're guessing they helped him along. Here we go....

PAUL likes NEHRO as his top pick and will use UNCLE MO, DIALED IN, STAY THIRSTY and ARCHARCHACH in exacta and trifecta combinations.

SONJA thinks that DIALED IN is the horse to beat and will include PANTS ON FIRE, NEHRO, SOLDAT and ARCHARCHARCH in exotics wagering.

DAVID is going with TWICE THE APPEAL and Calvin Borel as his winner. He thinks NEHRO will run second and has pegged UNCLE MO for third. He also mentions MIDNIGHT INTERLUDE has a shot at one of the top three spots.

An interesting sidebar...Calvin Borel took off of all his mounts yesterday at Churchill and did not ride on the card. Robby Albarado was thrown from his horse in the post parade of the 3rd race yesterday and did not ride the rest of the day. No word yet on whether either or both will be back in the saddle for Thursday racing.

Good luck and remember...our selections are for entertainment purposes only and if you decide to wager....wager responsibly.

(NOTE: WITH UNCLE MO SCRATCHED FROM THE RACE...WE'RE SLIDING ARCHARCHARCH IN PAUL'S PICKS. DAVID WATSON HASN'T DECIDED YET WHO HE WANTS IN 3RD. )
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Softball begins road trip...We look at Christina Roesel...Asst. WBB Coach Norman...KENTUCKY OAKS Picks

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WEDNESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE:

Freshmen right fielder Hannah
Kiyohara is batting .384

-Softball heads to Georgetown

-Spotlight on senior Christina Roesel

-Lady Cardinal WBB Assistant Coach Norman

-KENTUCKY OAKS Picks

Wow, a busy day here at C.C. Let's get to it...

The University of Louisville women's softball team heads out during Derby week in a race of their own...to secure and clinch a top four finish in the BIG EAST regular season standings. They'll play two today against the Georgetown Hoyas in Washington, D.C. Georgetown, in eighth place with a 6-11 conference record, is battling also...to maintain or improve on their eight place standing...since only the top eight teams get invited to the BIG EAST Tournament that will be held in Louisville May 12-14.

For Louisville, it's been a long break between games...the Cards winning a 4-0 rain-delayed victory over Providence on April 21st....at the beginning of the Louisville monsoon season that has lasted about two weeks. Hannah Kiyohara leads the Cards with a .384 average...followed closely by seniors Chelsea Bemis at .379 and Colby Wherry at .373.

The Cards have a lifetime 2-0 record over the Hoyas in softball...sweeping a doubleheader against them in Ulmer Stadium back in 2009...7-0 and 4-2.

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Christina Roesel has
played infield and
outfield for the Cards.

Sandy Pearsall has three seniors on her young squad this year and yesterday we recapped super shortstop Colby Wherry. Today we'll look at infielder Christina Roesel. The infielder/outfielder hails from Morris, Illinois and was a four time all-conference shortstop at Morris Community High School. "Rosey" also was a four year letter winner in hoops and volleyball.

She arrived at Louisville in 2008 and became the Cards starting second baseman her first year...one of three freshmen infielders on that Cardinal squad. Her sophomore year found her back at the "2" bag again and she started 55 games at second.

Her junior year saw her providing an important backup role to the Cards in fielding and pinch running...participating in 20 games and she continues that role as a senior. She's been on the Athletic Director's honor roll and the Dean's List and is majoring in sports administration.

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We all recognize and know a little about Lady Cards head basketball coach Jeff Walz. Today we'll introduce you to one of his assistant coaches....Stephanie Norman. She arrived at Louisville during Walz's first year in 2007 and was one of his first hires. She came from Vanderbilt University...where she had spent five years as the recruiting coordinator for the Commodores. Her invaluable efforts and assistance in recruiting at Louisville over the last four years has helped the Cards bring in arguably the best four freshmen classes in school history. This continued a trend she started at Vanderbilt...helping bring in the top class in women's college basketball in 2003and subsequent top 20 classes in 2005 and 2006.



UofL WBB Assistant coach Stephanie
Norman teaching skills.

Norman has also served as an assistant at Oregon, Oregon State, Hawaii and the University of British Columbia. She actually got her college degree in wildlife biology from Arizona State, which no doubt helps her understand the crazy UK basketball fans in this area.

The speculation, from our point of view is that Norman is ready to...and would prove to be...a very good head coach for some program out there...if that is the next step she wants to take. With Louisville, the experience that she and Michelle Clark-Heard add to the Louisville brain trust has proven to be invaluable...and with the departure of Bethann Ord to assume the head coaching job at Weber State...they'll be counted on to also help acclimate whoever Walz's hires for the open assistant coaching position.

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We're not ready to release the official CARDINAL COUPLE Derby Picks just yet, gotta see how the post position draw goes...but here's how we're seeing the Friday Kentucky Oaks shaping up. The post positions,jockeys and odds for the 13 runners:

1. JOYFUL VICTORY. Mike Smith  5-2

The best filly of all time, ZENYATTA...did not run in the
Kentucky Oaks.

2. LILACS AND LACE. Javier Castellano 12-1

3. SUMMER SOIREE. Gabriel Saez  5-1
4. KATHMANBLU. Julian Leparoux  4-1
5. SUAVE VOIR FAIRE. Miguel Mena  50-1
6. ZAZU. Joel Rosario  4-1
7. HER SMILE. Garrett Gomez  20-1
8. BOUQUET BOOTH. Robby Alberado  20-1
9. DAISY DEVINE. James Graham  20-1
10. STREET STORM. Shaun Bridgmohan  50-1
11. HOLY HEAVENS. Kent Desormeaux  50-1
12. PLUM PRETTY. Martin Garcia  5-1
13. ST. JOHN'S RIVER. Rosie Napravnik  30-1

WE love where ZAZU and KATHMANBLU ended up with post positions and will take these two as our choices to win (Paul with ZAZU and Sonja with KATHMANBLU). Hate the fact that JOYFUL VICTORY drew the rail, or #1 post and cannot see her winning from there. We'll still use her, though...in any exactas or trifectas we attempt, along with ZAZU, KATHMANBLU. LILACS AND LACE and DAISY DEVINE. You might want to include SUMMER SOIREE and PLUM PRETTY if you play superfectas.... on the bottom levels.

Wise guy pick....STREET STORM, trained by Steve Margolis and getting top rider Shaun Bridgmohan comes highly recomended by ace handicapper Alan Patterson. Won the Mardi Gras at Fairgrounds...driving at the end. Distance won't be a problem. The price will be nice...opening odds are 50-1.  

Good luck and we're happy to provide these "entertainment only" selections to you...if you wager, wager responsibly...





Meet Colby Wherry...R Heat Lightning out of Oaks

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THUNDERSTORM TUESDAY @ CARDINAL COUPLE:



"C-Dub" has been the Lady Cards
four year starter at shortstop.

-Wherry gets it done at shortstop

-R Heat Lightning out of Oaks

-A look at the Oaks.

With a quiet day ahead in women's sports at UofL, but a huge road trip ahead for Sandy Pearsall's softball team...WE thought we'd take a look at "Miss Steady" for the Cards...shortstop Colby Wherry.

Wherry, a senior out of Goodlettsville, TN.,showed up on the Louisville campus in 2008 after a successful four year stint at Beech High School...where she was all-district, mid-state and also a four year letter winner in basketball and soccer. She laid claim to the shortstop position and hasn't looked back since. She started all 54 games of UofL at short her freshman year and was named 3rd team All-BIG EAST. She held down the left side of the infield with another freshman...Chelsea Bemis...and was also named BIG EAST Player of the Week once.

Her sophomore year produced even better things. Named to the 2nd team All-BIG EAST..she led the nation in the "Toughest to Strike Out" category...with only 3 whiffs in 172 plate appearances. Colby was third on the team in batting...with an average of .366. She was also a Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-Great Lakes Region team member.

The great success continued as a junior. Still starting in every game...she was one of the Cards most dependable hitters and named to the BIG EAST 3rd team. This year, she's currently third in batting average and part of a strong batting lineup that includes her four year teammate Bemis, Alicja Wolny, Hannah Kiyohara, Maggie Ruckenbrod, Taner Fowler, Katie Keller and Kristin Austin.

Wherry is majoring in business and the daughter of Randy and Angie Wherry.

Louisville takes to the road beginning tomorrow to finish regular season BIG EAST play against Georgetown and Syracuse. The Cards are currently in 4th place in the BIG EAST and will host the BIG EAST Tournament May 12-14 at Ulmer Stadium. Here's hoping the Louisville rain doesn't follow the Lady Cards to Washington and Syracuse.

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One of the favorites for the Kentucky Oaks...R HEAT LIGHTNING...is out of the race now. Trainer Todd Pletcher reports that the Grade 1 Winner was scratched after a workout when heat was discovered in her knee.



Todd Pletcher trained R Heat Lightning
to two wins this spring...but she's
out of the Kentucky Oaks



'We noticed back at the barn that she seemed to be a little off in her right front leg. We checked her and we could feel some heat in her right knee. We consulted with the owners and the decision was made to withdraw her from the race." Pletcher informed media.

She had won the Gulfstream Oaks and Davona Dale by a combined 15 lengths in her last two outings and was Paul's pick for the OAKS.

"It's a shame." Pletcher added. "A filly like this at the top of her game and with a chance to run in the OAKS." 

She has been taken to Rood & Riddle Hospital in Lexington for further observation. 

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So...who are the prime contenders for the $1 million race for three year old fillies now that R HEAT LIGHTNING has been withdrawn? WE'LL give you five names that WE'RE considering now:

1) DAISY DEVINE. Has to be the 'Cinderella' story of the OAKS. Purchased as a yearling for $5500 dollars by Andrew McKeever, she's been on fire lately in New Orleans...finishing second in the Silverbulletday Stakes and winning the Fairground Oaks.

Lilacs and Lace won the Ashland States by a
length and paid $99.40 to win under Javier Castellano.

2) JOYFUL VICTORY. If it rains on Oaks Day...forget about the rest of them. She's absolutely loving the sloppy track conditions here at Churchill during her morning works and trainer Larry Jones brings this filly in to Louisville after a almost nine length win in the Honeybee Stakes at Oaklawn. She'll sit off the pace and swoop these if traffic allows. She's Sonja's pick.

3) KATHMANBLU. Turned in a very impressive work at Churchill Saturday...going five furlongs in 1:10.80. Toss out her 3rd place finish at Keeneland in the Ashland Stakes as the favorite...she's a dirt
runner, not poly track. Has run big at Churchill in the past..third in the Breeders Cup Filly Turf, won the Golden Rod stakes by eight lengths and took Sweetest Chant and Rachel Alexandria Stakes in addition.

4) ZAZU. Been training on the West Coast for trainer John Sadler and working six and seven furlongs impressively. Clocked a 1:24.20 at Hollywood last out. Finished second in the Santa Anita Oaks. Looks to be one of those horses that is getting ready to peak at the right time and getting stronger every day. Paul's new pick for the win after the defection of R Heat Lightning. California Girls...gotta love em.

5) LILACS AND LACE. Was the upset winner of the Ashland States at a handsome price and is trying dirt for the first time. We think she'll adapt well, though, to Churchill's surface....if breeding is any indication. Loves to stalk the pace and pounce at the end. She'll have plenty of speed to chase and has won three out of six lifetime races. Longshot special.

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We had a reader e-mail with us wondering about the status of former Lady Cards point guard Deseree "Dez" Byrd. We haven't heard anything about her lately...and she used to read CARDINAL COUPLE...so if you're out there Dez...drop us a line....or if anyone has an update on her...let us know at cardinalcouple@insightbb.com
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