Cash Control Leads Field of 13 in Cardinal

Richard and Bertram Klein's homebred Cash Control returns to the site of her lone graded stakes victory, breaking from post No. 12 in a field of 13 for the $100,000 Cardinal Handicap (gr. IIIT) going 1 1/8 miles at Churchill Downs Nov. 19.

After knocking heads with the likes of reigning champion turf female Tepin—finishing third behind that one in the May 7 Churchill Distaff Turf Mile Stakes (gr. IIT)—Cash Control edged her Brad Cox-trained stablemate Sweet Acclaim by a head in the June 11 Old Forester Mint Julep Handicap (gr. IIIT) beneath the Twin Spires, giving the 5-year-old daughter of Pioneerof the Nile   her first graded stakes win.

Following a pair of runner-up outings, Cash Control most recently crossed the wire sixth in the Oct. 8 First Lady Stakes (gr. IT) at Keeneland. The bay mare has never failed to give a good account of herself at Churchill Downs regardless of surface, never finishing worse than third in six starts over the main track and turf course combined.

Graham Motion-trainee Real Smart also earned her first graded win this season, taking the Robert G. Dick Memorial Stakes (gr. IIIT) at Delaware Park July 9. In Saturday's test for fillies and mares, the 4-year-old Smart Strike filly is seeking to regain that form after a pair of off-the-board outings in the grade III Fasig-Tipton Waya Stakes Aug. 6 and Oct. 1 Rodeo Drive Stakes (gr. IT).