Sunday Cardinal Couple -- Lacrosse adds nine.

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SUNDAY CARDINAL COUPLE


-Lacrosse adds nine student-athletes for 2012-13 season


-Downs after Dark: June 16th report

Coach Kellie Young

Kellie Young is the only head lacrosse coach that the University of Louisville program has ever had. She enters her sixth season...coming in from James Madison University and building the Louisville program from scratch. 


Nine student-athletes will join the program as freshmen this fall. A look at the list shows the east coast remains an area that Louisville is still targeting...with two newcomers from Maryland, two from New York, and one each from Massachusetts, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Ontario. No local area players are a part of the incoming class and the UofL lacrosse rosters shows no local players from the Louisville area. Currently, 12 high schools in the metro area offer women's lacrosse as a team sport. 

Boltja's back

Young was 43-24 in her first four years as Louisville's head coach before undergoing a rebuilding season last year and finishing 3-12. The Cards do return leading scorer junior Nikki Boltja and defender Monica Negron...both were second team Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association All-West/Midwest Region team selections.  


"The class of 2012 features an outstanding group of young women. They have given great thought to choosing Louisville and are passionate about representing our University and our Athletic Department at the highest level in the classroom, on the field and in life. Driven to be the best on and off the field, their talent and work ethic are bound to propel this program forward."  -- Coach Young, on the incoming freshmen. 

The Cards look to improve over a disappointing season where they went 0-5 at home and lost 9 out of their last ten games. We expect to see a return to the winning ways of Louisville Lacrosse this year and a return to the BIG EAST Conference Tournament. 2009 was Louisville last apperance in post-season play. 


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Churchill Downs ran the Stephen Foster Day racing card under the lights for the first time Saturday. A late decision to attend got us out there shortly before the third race and we changed up our normal track-visit routine....spending several hours "down on the bricks" mingling with the party-goers and would-be handicappers. 

Things were getting active and the paddock area was packed when we arrived. Night racing definitely brings  a younger crowd than usual at the Downs...not sure if they fully understood the significance and quality of the race card tonight, but they were having a grand time. 


Paul got us off to a great start in the fourth race by insisting that Brian Hernandez, Jr. would win the mile and sixteeth turf event. He's that way about Brian on the turf. He wouldn't tell me how much he bet on him until after the race...when he showed me the ticket. Risky stuff...but Twist of Silver and Brian did not disappoint, beating the field at odds of 22-1.

That definitely paid for the rest of the evening. 


There were four huge stakes races tonight: The Matt Winn, The Regret, the Fleur de Lis Handicap and the Stephan Foster Handicap. I'd like to tell you we did well in all of them, but....alas, we did not. Only Royal Delta, in the Fleur De Lis gave us a cashable ticket and it wasn't much. 


The evening did end on a good note, though when he and I invested $12 in a final race .10 cent superfecta  and got back $187 for our picks.

 Also, a very nasty spill in the 9th race of the evening in the stretch...three horses and jockeys involved. Johnny Velazquez was taken to Audubon Hospital for observation. Hate to see that stuff happen. Even more 
frustration when one of the horses was our selection and looked to be going for the lead when the mishap occurred. Mr. Producer, the Johnny V. mount that stumbled and fell was euthanized on the track. The other two horses lost their jockeys but returned to the barns under their own power. John McKee and Manny Cruz, the other two jockeys involved walked off the track with no assistance needed.


WE left after the final race but things were still thumping with the D.J. and crowd when we left. A great night for it and leaving with money in your pocket is always good...


Happy Father's Day to all the Dads out there today! Whether it's a cookout, day of rest or gathering with family...enjoy it, guys. 


Sonja
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