Askbut I Won'ttell Wins Sunday's Cardinal Handicap

Nov 07, 2010 Gary Yunt

Team Block and Rich Ege’s Askbut I Won’ttell swept past Kiss Mine and My Baby Baby in deep stretch to win the 37th running of the $113,900 Cardinal Handicap (GIII) by 1 ¼ lengths Sunday at Churchill Downs.

 Ridden by Shaun Bridgmohan, Askbut I Won’ttell saved ground in the early going as War Tigress led the field of seven fillies and mares through fractions of :25.02, :49.91 and 1:14.45 with Kiss Mine and My Baby Baby in closest pursuit.

 Entering the stretch, Bridgmohan had Askbut I Won’ttell next to the hedge before swinging out at the three-sixteenths pole where the 4-year-old filly had dead aim on the leaders.  Askbut I Won’ttell claimed the lead inside the sixteenth pole and drew off to complete the 1 1/8 miles on a firm Matt Winn Turf Course in 1:50.41.

 The victory was worth $69,206 and increased Askbut I Won’ttell’s bankroll to $264,902 with a record of 15-5-3-2 for trainer Chris Block. Askbut I Won’ttell is a Florida-bred daughter of Horse Chestnut (SAF) out of the Green Dancer mare Silver Dollar Kate.

 Askbut I Won’ttell returned $14.80, $6.20 and $3.80. Favored Kiss Mine, ridden by Robby Albarado, returned $3.40 and $2.80 and finished a neck in front of My Baby Baby, who paid $3.20 to show under Julien Leparoux. It was another 2 ¼ lengths back to Princess Haya, who was followed in order by War Tigress, Paracaidas and Romin Robin.

Racing resumes Wednesday with a 10-race program beginning at 12:40 p.m. (ET).

CARDINAL HANDICAP JOCKEY & TRAINER QUOTES

Shaun Bridgmohan (jockey, Askbut I Won’ttell, winner): “I had a good trip. I sat right behind the speed horses. At the top of the stretch I just needed to find her somewhere to go and once I swung her out and asked her for it, she gave it to me and finished. She’s a filly that comes from a little further back. Mr. Block (Chris, trainer) told me to ask her early to make sure she wasn’t too far back and I think he dissected the race pretty good and all I had to do was execute it.”

David Block (owner, Askbut I Won’ttell, winner):  “This filly has shown a lot of potential since we bought her on the turf. We have taken our time with her and we ran her on the synthetic at Arlington and she ran a monster number, like a 106 Beyer Speed Figure and we thought that would be the place to make her name on the synthetic and then we ran her in a couple of other spots and took her to Canada and she ran well, but we ran her at Keeneland and she didn’t do anything. We wanted to bring her back to the turf and she showed us today that is where she really belonged as she proved today. We are excited about this victory and getting a graded stakes win out of this mare. It’s a very prestigious race and we are excited to have won the Cardinal. We will take her to Florida and take a look at the Sunshine Million Day being she is a Florida bred.”

Robby Albarado (jockey, Kiss Mine, second): “I had a great trip, she was comfortable out there. She was pressuring the pace and they went slow enough and she came home nicely but she just got outrun run the last few strides.”

David Vance (trainer, Kiss Mine, second): “She ran all she could run, she just got outrun that’s all. She came over here good and has had plenty of time in between races. She ran her race. She was where I wanted her to be, but she couldn’t hold off that late closer. She runs hard every time and runs well with her division.”

-- END --