Wilkes points Res Ipsa, Linda to Cardinal Handicap

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Trainer Ian Wilkes said the Grade 3 Cardinal on Nov. 18 at Churchill Downs is next for both Res Ipsa and Linda, the first- and third-place finishers in a third-level turf allowance last Friday at Keeneland.

Res Ipsa, owned by Deborah Wilson, is unbeaten in two starts since undergoing minor throat surgery over the summer. Her 6-1 victory over Linda in their first head-to-head clash qualified as a mild upset, given that Linda already is a Grade 2 winner and was an odds-on favorite when finishing two lengths behind her stablemate.

◗ Friday is the once-a-meet College Scholarship Day at Keeneland, with noted horse owner Jim McIngvale funding $10,000 in a single Runhappy Scholarship for the first time. That’s in addition to the 10 scholarships worth $1,000 each offered as usual between races by Keeneland and the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association.

◗ Nominations close Saturday for the $80,000 Street Sense and $80,000 Rags to Riches, twin 2-year-old stakes that help to open the Churchill fall meet on Oct. 29. A pair of $200,000 races restricted to offspring of Spendthrift Farm stallions also will be part of the Oct. 29 card, which comprises 2-year-old races.