11/26/2020

  4   CD    Cardinal Handicap (GIII)    
       $100.000      3yo&Up F&M          1 1/8m  Turf          Hcp Weights

The ladies will be headed to the gate on Turkey Day and we look at the field for the Cardinal Hcp (GIII) going a mile and an eighth on the CD turf course.  I’ve landed on Graceful American as my top pick in this one.  She had a three-race win streak snapped when facing GI company at SA which may have been a bit tougher than she wanted.  This is more in her scope, I believe.  I’ll go to the far outside for the second choice and put Smart Watch in there.  She’s been tough as nails all season, getting a nice check in every single race, and was tough over this track back in June.  Let’s go to the rail and put Pennies in the middle of this one as well.  She’s been right there in a number of graded races, so there’s no real reason to not think that she can’t repeat that form here today.

The Green Card sees this far different that I do so it should be an open betting event and a fun one to watch. 

Here’s The Field –

Had been running one-two-three but ran into a tough group in the Flower Bowl (GI) where she still ran fifth only beaten two lengths.  If she can run back to that Penny Mem Hcp (GIII) race, she can probably get the job done here.  She is certainly a horse to watch. 

Part of the Our Athletes duo and she got her first win of the 2020 season taking down Alw horses at PRX going a flat mile.  Her graded efforts this year have been wanting and she’s going to need her very best to be in the hunt here. 

Had her three-race win streak snapped when tiring to be sixth in the Rodeo Drive (GI) at SA.  She was back on short rest and just couldn’t hang with that group but this is more to her liking and she should be tough today. 

Lightly raced three year old only making her tenth start and she has three wins; however none of those have been vs. graded company.  She was third in the Black Eyed Susan (GII) and the Iowa Oaks (GIII) so she can hang with this type and a bit of improvement could put her right there. 

Three wins in a row, all coming after she was claimed for just $4.000, but she’s been facing softer fields that what she will be seeing in this one.  Broke maiden for $12.500 claimer then won a pair of Alw races to get here.  Can she keep it up?

Only a single win this season and that was against Alw horses at TAM bak in May.  She does have a trio of on-the-board stakes starts of late including a near miss in the Shuvee (GIII) at SAR.  She’s back on the grass after a pair of main track starts. 

She hasn’t been off of the board in nine 2020 starts and has won three of those races.  Just missed over this course in Jun when second in the ET Mint Julep Hcp (GIII) and we all know I’m a horses-for-course guy. 

COZMAN PICKS   3 / 7 / 1          Willie’s Green Card      5 / 2 / 7

Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES