Centre Court, La Tia Lead Cardinal 'Cap Nominees

 

Trained by Rusty Arnold, Centre Court is coming off of back-to-back fourth-place efforts in the $250,000 Ballston Spa (GII) on Aug. 23 at Saratoga going 1 1/16 miles and Keeneland’s $400,000 First Lady (GI) over a mile on Oct. 4. She will stretch out to 1 1/8 miles for the first time since the 2013 Diana (GI) at Saratoga where she finished fifth. Carrying a record of 19-7-4-0, the 5-year-old daughter of Smart Strike has captured six graded stakes in her career, highlighted by the 2013 Jenny Wiley (GI) at Keeneland. She is the earner of $961,395.

 

Illinois-bred La Tia won her last start in gate-to-wire fashion in the $200,000 Athenia (GIII) at Belmont Park on Oct. 12, where she held off Grade I winner Byrama by a neck. The Armando De la cerda trainee also has scored victories in the Jun. 26 Ontario Matron (GIII) at Woodbine and the May 24 Arlington Matron (GIII). The 5-year-old daughter of City Place has earned $803,326 from nine wins in 22 starts.

 

Other Cardinal Handicap nominees include Wayne Catalano-trained I’m Already Sexy, an earner of $509,998 and two-time Grade III winner who also won the $197,000 Kentucky Downs Ladies Turf on Sept. 13; Overheard, a duel graded stakes-winner and earner of $491,340 trained by Malcolm Pierce who was third beaten less than a half-length behind La Tia and Byrama in Belmont’s Athenia last time out; and the Wesley Ward-trained Emotional Kitten, who captured last year’s Mrs. Revere (GII) at Churchill Downs, earned $464,503 and most recently finished second in the Nov. 2 Golikova (GII) at Santa Anita, but was disqualified to fourth after interference in the stretch.

 

Source: Churchill Downs Communications