Brass Hat tries turf again in Louisville

Fred Bradley's homebred BRASS HAT (Prized) has found plenty of success on the

main track, winning a Grade 1, three Grade 2s and last year's Massachusetts H.

while compiling more than $1.7 million in earnings, but he's winless from four

career turf starts. His connections feel he has a future on the green, however,

and the venerable seven-year-old gelding will try the sod once again in

Saturday's $150,000 Louisville H.(G3) at Churchill Downs.

The 117-pound highweight in an 11-horse field, Brass Hat does exit an

encouraging third-place effort in the grassy Elkhorn S. (G2) at Keeneland, and

he'll face a less-accomplished group of runners this time around. Calvin Borel

will pick up the mount on the Bill Bradley trainee.

American Derby (G2) hero LATTICE (Arch) is a top contender. He's winless from

two starts this season, but the Al Stall-trained colt will enter off an

encouraging, fast-finishing second versus allowance rivals at Keeneland.

Multiple stakes winner PICKAPOCKET (Mecke) captured the aforementioned allowance

and will also return in the Louisville.

SILVERFOOT (With Approval), who swept three consecutive runnings of the event

from 2004-06, will attempt to improve upon a fifth in the Elkhorn. The

eight-year-old gelding returned off a 14-month layoff earlier this season for

Dallas Stewart, and he's eligible to show more while returning to Churchill's

turf, where he's compiled a four-for-five mark. Other contenders include Grade 3

winner BIRDBIRDISTHEWORD (Pure Prize), winner of a recent allowance/optional

claiming event under the Twin Spires; Grade 3 victor TRANSDUCTION GOLD (Formal

Gold), who will make his second start back off the layoff; and multiple stakes

king LORD CARMEN (Ordway).

Lattice will lead the call to the post under a 114-pound impost that includes

Robby Albarado. Next comes BIGGERBADDERBETTER (Sahm), Corey Lanerie, 113; SPIDER

POWER (Ire) (Royal Applause [GB]), James Lopez, 113; Transduction Gold, Miguel

Mena, 114; Brass Hat; SAVE BIG MONEY (Storm Cat), Shaun Bridgmohan, 113;

Pickapocket, Elvis Trujillo, 114; Birdbirdistheword, Jesus Castanon, 113;

Silverfoot, Jamie Theriot, 115; Lord Carmen, Larry Melancon, 114; and FIREROCK

BASE (Indian Charlie), Julien Leparoux, 114.