by Ed DeRosa

Lattice, winner of the Louisville Handicap (G3) in his previous start, and Grade 1 winner Cloudy’s Knight will meet in the Stars and Stripes Turf Handicap (G3) on Friday at Arlington Park, a 1 1/2-mile turf race for older horses.

Lattice stretched out to 1 1/2 miles in the Louisville Handicap and won by three-quarters of a length to earn his first win since switching to the barn of trainer Al Stall for owners-breeders Adele Dilschneider and Claiborne Farm. Lattice won the American Derby (G2) at Arlington last year before finishing seventh in the Secretariat Stakes (G1) in his last start as a three-year-old.

Cloudy’s Knight, winner of the 2007 Pattison Canadian International Stakes (Can-G1), was assigned high weight of 122 pounds and will concede from four to 12 pounds to eight challengers. The Lord Avie gelding finished second in the ’05 and ’07 editions the Stars and Stripes.

Winner of the 2007 Sovereign Award as Canada’s champion turf male, Cloudy’s Knight made his eight-year-old debut on May 31 and finished seventh in the Opening Verse Handicap after racing four-wide near the pace in the opening stages of the race. Cloudy’s Knight won three of nine starts last year and sports an identical record at the Stars and Stripes distance.

The local prep for the Stars and Stripes, the Rossi’s Gold Stakes, was contested on June 7, and the top four from that race—Major Rhythm, Rumor Has It, Telling, and Silverfoot, respectively—all will return for the Stars and Stripes. 

Telling, who made his stakes debut in the Rossi Gold, has shown potential as a four-year-old A.P. Indy colt who has won one of two starts on the turf and four of seven races lifetime. This will be his first start beyond 1 3/16 miles.

The Stars and Stripes also drew A. P. Xcellent, Canela, and maiden winner Borobudur. A. P. Xcellent is making his first start in a stakes for trainer Niall O’Callaghan after finishing second in the 2007 Hollywood Gold Cup Handicap (G1) for previous trainer John Shirreffs. Canela had a strong Churchill meet, winning both his starts on turf.

Ed DeRosa is news editor of Thoroughbred Times