Kiss Mine, whose four-race winning streak was ended in an unplaced finish in the Abu Dhabi First Lady Stakes (gr. IT) one month ago, looks to get back in the win column against six female turf rivals in the $100,000 Cardinal Handicap (gr. IIIT) at Churchill Downs Nov. 7.
The 1 1/8-mile Cardinal tops the first post-Breeders' Cup program at the Louisville track. It is the 10th race on the card with a 5:15 p.m. ET post.
Carl Pollard's Kiss Mine, a 4-year-old daughter of Mineshaft , was taking a big step forward for trainer David Vance in Keeneland's First Lady. She was never a factor in the one-mile test, finishing seventh after being steadied and in tight. Kiss Mine won three consecutive non-graded stakes on grass prior to that, the last two coming at Mountaineer Park.
Kiss Mine owns a 7-2-5 mark in 23 starts with earnings of $293,786. Robby Albarado, who rode her in one of those Mountaineer triumphs, is reunited with the dark bay filly and will break from post 5. She gets one pound from the 117-pound top weight Princess Haya, the only graded stakes winner in the field.
Princess Haya, trained by Carl O'Callaghan for owner/breeder Eileen Hartis, has lost six in a row since springing a 15-1 upset with a nose victory in Woodbine's 2009 Canadian Stakes (Can-IIT).
Racing against the best of the Southern California female turf division this year, the 5-year-old Texas-bred Street Cry mare is coming off a seventh-place finish in Oak Tree's Yellow Ribbon Stakes (gr. IT) Oct. 2. Princess Haya, to be ridden by Kent Desormeaux, leads the Cardinal field in earnings with $435,901.
My Baby Baby, a 5-year-old veteran of 26 starts, ran fifth in last year's Cardinal when finishing 8 1/2 lengths behind the victorious Acoma. She pressed the pace into the stretch that day before tiring. Ken McPeek trains the stakes-winning daughter of Bernstein for owner Magdalena Racing. She is coming off a two-length allowance score on the Keeneland turf Oct. 15. Julien Leparoux has the mount once again.
Also coming off an allowance turf win at Keeneland is Paracaidas, who races for trainer Todd Pletcher and Gulf Coast Farms. The lightly raced 5-year-old War Chant mare has won three of seven starts and finished fourth in her only prior stakes try in the Kentucky Cup Ladies Turf on a yielding Kentucky Downs course Sept. 11. Garrett Gomez, who was aboard Paracaidas for her one-mile turf score by 4 1/4 lengths Oct. 10, retains the ride.
Askbut I Won'ttell gets back on turf after finishing last of 10 in the Spinster Stakes (gr. I) on Keeneland's Polytrack Oct. 10. Trained by Chris Block for owner Team Block, the 4-year-old Illinois-bred daughter of Horse Chestnut has won three of eight tries on grass. Shaun Bridgmohan rides.
$!00,000 Cardinal Handicap (gr. IIIT, Race 10, 5:15 p.m.), Fillies & Mares 3 & Up, 1 1/8 Miles (Turf)
PP. Horse, Jockey, Weight, Trainer
1. War Tigress (KY), R B Homeister Jr., 112, J D Thornbury
2. Romin Robin (FL), C H Borel, 115, D C Kassen
3. Askbut I Won'ttell (FL), S Bridgmohan, 113, C M Block
4. Princess Haya (TX), K J Desormeaux, 117, C O'Callaghan
5. Kiss Mine (KY), R Albarado, 116, D R Vance
6. Paracaidas (KY), G K Gomez, 114, T A Pletcher
7. My Baby Baby (KY), J R Leparoux, 115, K G McPeek