Brass Hat returns on Churchill's closing day

Grade 1 hero BRASS HAT (Prized), who suffered a potentially

career-threatening sesamoid injury last July, will make his long-awaited

return to competition on Sunday's closing-day card at Churchill Downs.

Trainer Buff Bradley thus achieved his goal of getting the six-year-old

gelding back in action by the end of the meet. Carded as the 6TH race,

the 1 1/16-mile allowance/optional claiming event is hardly a soft spot,

with Grade 1 veteran PERFECT DRIFT (Dynaformer) also in the line-up.

Brass Hat had already recovered from one serious setback to become a

major player in the handicap ranks last year. The bay was a talented

three-year-old in 2004, capturing the Ohio Derby (G2) and Indiana Derby

(G2), before sustaining a condylar fracture of his right front cannon

bone. Sidelined for more than a year, he came back in late 2005 and

vaulted into prominence with scores in the 2006 New Orleans H. (G2) and

Donn H. (G1). In the latter, he set a new track record of 1:47 3/5 for

nine furlongs at Gulfstream Park. Brass Hat then finished an excellent

second in the Dubai World Cup (UAE-G1), only to be disqualified because

of a medication violation. In his only subsequent start, he wound up

fifth in the Stephen Foster H. (G1).

Ironically, Brass Hat's reappearance comes almost a year to the day

after he suffered a fractured sesamoid in his right front ankle at the

conclusion of a workout. Given plenty of time to heal, he returned to

the worktab on May 20 and has been training sharply.

"It ought to be a good race," Bradley said. "I'm just excited to get

to run him, basically. As I told my dad (owner Fred Bradley), we're just

hoping for a good effort and let him come out of it healthy and ready to

go for the next one. I think he'll run big."

Regular rider Willie Martinez will guide Brass Hat, the 5-2 favorite

on the morning line, from post 7.

Perfect Drift will try to snap a 14-race losing streak, with his last

victory coming in the Washington Park H. (G2) in July 2005. The Murray

Johnson-trained eight-year-old has turned in several excellent efforts

in defeat since then, including a heart-breaking loss in last year's

Stephen Foster, but he's exiting one of his worst performances. Perfect

Drift shipped to Hollywood Park for the Californian S. (G2) and didn't

enjoy the Cushion Track, winding up a disappointing last of 10.