Grade I Winner Daisy Devine Tops 39th Cardinal Handicap

Nov 07, 2012 Travers Manley

James Miller’s Daisy Devine, winner of the Jenny Wiley (Grade I) at Keeneland, will carry the top weight of 122 pounds when she faces eight rivals in Saturday’s 39^th running of the $100,000-added Cardinal Handicap (GIII) for fillies and mares at Churchill Downs.  

The Cardinal, which is scheduled to be run at 1 1/8 miles on the Matt Winn Turf Course, will go as the ninth race on Saturday’s 10-race program with a 4:37 p.m. (all times Eastern) post time. Post time for the first race is 12:40 p.m.

A 4-year-old Kentucky-bred daughter of Kafwain, Daisy Devine will enter the Cardinal off a runner-up effort in the First Lady (GI) at Keeneland, which was her first race since finishing fifth in the Churchill Distaff Turf Mile (GII) on the Kentucky Derby Day undercard.

Daisy Devine, whose other graded-stakes victory on the turf came in the 2011 Valley View (GIII) at Keeneland, ran seventh in the 2011 Kentucky Oaks (GI) after winning the Fair Grounds Oaks (GII). Ridden by James Graham in all but three of 14 career starts, Daisy Devine will be guided Saturday by Calvin Borel, who was aboard for her Valley View score.

The Andrew McKeever-trained Daisy Devine, who will break from post four in the Cardinal, will have competition from three other graded-stakes winners in Bizzy Caroline, La Cloche and Fugitive Angel. 

Catesby Clay’s Bizzy Caroline has three wins over the Matt Winn Turf Course, including the 2011 Regret (GIII) and the 2012 Early Times Mint Julep Handicap (GIII). The Ken McPeek-trained daughter of Afleet Alex will break from the rail under Corey Lanerie and carry 118 pounds.

Phillips Racing Partnership’s homebred La Cloche is coming off a victory in the Athenia (GIII) at Belmont Park. A 5-year-old daughter of Ghostzapper, La Cloche was ninth in the 2010 edition of the Mrs. Revere (GII) in her lone start on the Matt Winn Turf Course. The Jimmy Toner-trained La Cloche will break from post two under Junior Alvarado and carry 118 pounds. 

Augustin Stable’s Fugitive Angel will make her third start of the year in the Cardinal after returning from an 11-month layoff in September. A 5-year-old daughter of Alphabet Soup, Fugitive Angel’s biggest victory came in the 2010 Valley View (GIII) at Keeneland. She will break from post eight under Shaun Bridgmohan and carry 115 pounds.

The field for the Cardinal Handicap, from the rail out (with jockey and weight): Bizzy Caroline (Lanerie, 118), La Cloche (Alvarado, 118), Revelstoke (Jesus Castanon, 114), Daisy Devine (Borel, 122), Affair Dabbler (Leandro Goncalves, 115), Last Full Message (Jon Court, 115), Indian Pond (Miguel Mena, 117), Fugitive Angel (Bridgmohan, 115) and Julie’s Love-GB (Joe Rocco Jr., 117).

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