(Edited Churchill Downs report)

LOUISVILLE, KY., – Courtlandt Farms’ Indescribable closed from far back to nip Long Approach in the shadow of the wire to win the 36th running of the $113,400 Cardinal Handicap (Grade 3) by a head at Churchill Downs on Saturday afternoon.

Ridden by Kent Desormeaux, Indescribable covered the 1 1/8 miles on a “yielding” Matt Winn Turf Course in 1:55.77.

Favored Callwood Dancer, ridden by Eurico Da Silva, took the field through fractions of :25.14 and :51.78 while on an uncontested lead. Kiss With a Twist, under Miguel Mena and Long Approach with Julien Leparoux up, both moved at Callwood Dancer at the head of the lane while Indescribable was near the back of the pack waiting for room.

Once Desormeaux got Indescribable in the clear, she took dead aim on the leaders, collaring Kiss With a Twist first and then easing past Long Approach just before the wire.

The victory gave trainer Bill Mott his record sixth win in the Cardinal and increased his record overall win total at Churchill Downs to 594, a record 75 coming in stakes.

“That was fun! At the three-sixteenths pole, I thought I had no chance. But, as they say in Europe, ‘when she presented herself’ and got clear, she really leveled out and took off. She did not have any trouble with the ground at all. She never had that one stumble or bobble. In the last 40 yards, I was pretty confident that we were going to win,” Desormeaux said.

Kenny McCarthy, Mott’s assistant at Churchill Downs, said, “We felt like she would be tough today, but the only question we had was whether she could handle the yielding turf. It looks like she handled it fine.”

The winner’s check of $66,793 increased Indescribable’s career earnings to $332,595 with five victories in 16 starts and her second turf win.

Indescribable, a homebred 4-year-old filly by Pleasant Tap out of the Flying Paster mare Catnip, returned mutuels of $15.40, $8.40 and $4.40. Long Approach returned $8.40 and $4.80 with Kiss With a Twist, who finished a half-length back in third, returning $6.20 to show.

Completing the field in order were Callwood Dancer, Sousaphone, Lady Digby, Meribel, Ciao, Ballymore Lady and Queendom.