Starship Jubilee among dozen set for Churchill's Cardinal

Blue Heaven Farm’s multiple graded stakes winner Starship Jubliee tops a field of 12 older fillies and mares in Thursday’s $175,000 Cardinal (Grade 3), a 1 1/8-mile turf test at Churchill Downs.

The co-feature on the 12-race Thanksgiving Day card, along with the $300,000 Falls City (G2), is slated as Race 11 with a post time of 4:22 p.m. (all times Eastern). The first post gets underway at a special time of 11:30 a.m.

Starship Jubilee (31-14-4-3—$1,138,487) is a top contender for the Canadian Horse of the Year honors following a stellar 2019 campaign that included a one-length score in the $600,000 E.P. Taylor (G1) at Woodbine. Trained by Kevin Attard, Starship Jubilee was claimed for $16,000 in 2017 at Gulfstream Park. The 6-year-old mare by Indy Wind is searching for her first victory outside of Woodbine and Gulfstream Park. Luis Contreras has the call on Starship Jublilee from post position No. 11.

Another top contender that entered the Cardinal is Stonehaven Steadings’ $200,000 Dr. James Penny Memorial Stakes (G3) winner Notapradaprice (26-8-7-3—$461,400), who will make her first start since being transferred to trainer Eddie Kenneally from John Servis. The 5-year-old mare by Paddy O’Prado has been in top form in her last four starts that included a victory in the $150,000 All Along Stakes and a half-length victory in the Dr. James Penny Memorial. Leading rider Corey Lanerie has the mount from post 6.

The complete field for the Cardinal (with jockey and trainer): Stave (Gabriel Saez, Larry Jones); Kallio (Tyler Gaffalione, Brendan Walsh); Tweety Show (Julie Burke, Ron Isbell Jr.); Maroubra (FR) (Julien Leparoux, Cherie DeVaux); Smart Emma (Channing Hill, Danny Peitz); Notapradaprice (Lanerie, Kenneally); English Soul (Declan Cannon, Jack Sisterson); Limari (Florent Geroux, Brad Cox); Cash Out (Chris Landeros, Rusty Arnold II); Smart Shot (Brian Hernandez Jr., Arnold); Starship Jubilee (Contreras, Attard); and Area (Ricardo Santana Jr., Steve Asmussen).

All horses will tote 121 pounds except Starship Jubilee who will carry 125 lbs.