Cash Control Right at Home in Cardinal

Life beneath the Twin Spires rarely fails to treat Cash Control well. 

Having never finished worse than third in six prior outings at Churchill Downs, it stood to reason that the 5-year-old daughter of Pioneerof the Nile   had both a class edge and home-track advantage over her 11 rivals in the $100,000 Cardinal Handicap (gr. IIIT) Nov. 19. Sure enough, Bertram and Richard Klein's homebred mare delivered on all accounts in the 1 1/8-mile turf test, getting an ideal stalking trip under Shaun Bridgmohan to score by four lengths over runner-up Kitten's Roar for her second graded stakes triumph. 

The betting public got it right in tabbing Cash Control the 5-2 pick in a wide-open field. Though she finished sixth last time out in the Oct. 8 First Lady Stakes (gr. IT) at Keeneland, the bay mare picked up her first graded score over the Churchill turf June 11, when she got her head down over stablemate Sweet Acclaim in the Old Forester Mint Julep Handicap (gr. IIIT).

Trainer Brad Cox was concerned when his charge drew post 12 in the Cardinal, but Bridgmohan erased those worries early on, when he angled Cash Control in slightly after the break and had her racing comfortably third in a clear, outside path, as Belle de Nuit and Lots o' Lex prompted one another through fractions of :24.56 and :48.94 down the backstretch.

"The outside post is great for her," Bridgmohan said. "I got stuck down inside in Indiana with her (second in the Indiana General Assembly Distaff Stakes July 16), so I thought the outside post was ideal. The main thing is to get her to relax."

Lots o' Lex put away her early challenger and took command around the final turn, but was soon engaged by Bridgmohan with a ton of horse in his hands advancing two-wide. Cash Control continued the wire under a strong hand ride, stopping the teletimer in 1:49.39 over a course rated firm.

"This mare, she's thriving right now," Cox said. "She was going into this race as well as any race this year. I personally was nervous with the 12 hole, but Shaun gave her a great ride, and she was on her 'A' game today.

"Did I expect her to win like that? No, but I'm sure glad that she did. Graded stakes are tough to win." 

Cash Control paid $7, $3.80, and $2.80 to her backers. Kitten's Roar edged Lots o' Lex by a head for second with The Tea Cups fourth.

Salama, Bitty Kitty, Heath, Belle du Nuit, Annulment, Christie's Ready, Real Smart, and Complete St. completed the order of finish. Lady Fog Horn scratched out of the field.

Out of the Mt. Livermore mare Hidden Assets, Cash Control is expected to continue to be campaigned in 2017, likely heading to the Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, according to Cox. She improved her career mark to nine wins from 19 starts with $491,794 in earnings.