Tapitsfly, Ravi's Song Top Sunday's 38th Cardinal 'Cap

Nov 03, 2011 Gary Yunt

Frank Jones Jr.’s  Tapitsfly, winner of the 2009 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Santa Anita, will carry top weight of 117 pounds Sunday when she faces six rivals in the 38^th running of the $100,000-added Cardinal Handicap (Grade III) for fillies and mares going 1 1/8 miles on the Matt Winn Turf Course.

The Cardinal, won last year by Askbut I Won’ttell, will go as the 10th race on Sunday’s 11-race program with a 5:15 p.m. EDT post time. Post time for the first race on the Sunday program that closes out Breeders’ Cup weekend at the track is 12:40 p.m.

Trained by Dale Romans, Tapitsfly has run twice on the Matt Winn Turf Course in her career with her best finish coming in this spring’s Early Times Mint Julep (GIII) when she finished a neck behind My Baby Baby and Cardinal rival Ravi’s Song. Robby Albarado has the mount on Tapitsfly, who will break from post position five.

Mrs. Yoshio Fujita’s Ravi’s Song is the next high weight at 116 pounds. Trained by Carl Bowman, Ravi’s Song followed up her Mint Julep runner-up finish with a second-place finish in the Matchmaker (GIII) at Monmouth Park. Corey Lanerie has the mount on Ravi’s Song, who will break from post position three.

An intriguing member of the Cardinal field is Juddmonte Farms’ Deluxe, trained by Bill Mott. The 4-year-old Storm Cat filly is a daughter of Hasili, who has produced five Group or Grade I winners including Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf winners Banks Hill and Intercontinental.

Deluxe, winless in two U.S. starts, will carry 115 pounds and break from post position six under Julien Leparoux.

The Cardinald field, from the rail out, includes: A She’s Adorable (Brian Hernandez Jr., 115 pounds), Distorted Love (Miguel Mena, 114), Ravi’s Song (Lanerie, 116), Kiss Mine (Edgar Prado, 114), Tapitsfly (Albarado, 117), Deluxe (Leparoux, 116) and Mutually Benefit (Mark Guidry, 114).