Cloudy's Knight seeks elusive Stars and Stripes

CLOUDY'S KNIGHT (Lord Avie), the eight-year-old gelding who peaked in Canada

late last year en route to a year-end championship in the Dominion, will attempt

for a third time to win the $175,000 Stars and Stripes H. (G3) over 1 1/2 miles

on turf Friday at Arlington Park. Two lengths second in the 2005 Stars and

Stripes, and a nose second in last year's edition, Cloudy's Knight enters off an

uncharacteristically poor try in his seasonal debut. In the May 31 Opening Verse

H. at Churchill Downs, Cloudy's Knight was well positioned in third early but

stopped turning for home and wound up seventh in a field of 10.

That effort was a far cry from Cloudy's Knight's campaign last season. Though

wins were hard to come by early in the year -- he won once in his first six

starts of 2007 -- Cloudy's Knight demonstrated strong form in winning the Fair

Grounds H. (G3) and finishing a close second in both the Stars and Stripes and

the Mervin Muniz Jr. Memorial H. (G2). His remaining three starts of the

campaign after the Stars and Stripes all occurred at Woodbine, beginning with a

close runner-up effort in the Nijinsky S. (Can-G2) and then a one-length score

in the Sky Classic S. (Can-G2). In the Canadian International (Can-G1), Cloudy's

Knight prevailed by a nose against a field that included European highweights

Quijano (Ger) (Acatenango) and Honolulu (Ire) (Montjeu [Ire]), Canadian champion

Sky Conqueror and eventual Grade 1 winner Sunriver. Off those sterling efforts,

Cloudy's Knight was named Canada's champion turf horse.

An earner of over $2 million, Cloudy's Knight will be saddled in the Stars

and Stripes by long-time Chicago mainstay Frank Kirby and will ridden by regular

pilot Ramsey Zimmerman under high weight of 122 pounds.

LATTICE (Arch), the 2007 American Derby (G2) winner, returns to the scene of

his most noted triumph on the heels of a victory in the 12-furlong Louisville H.

(G3) over the Churchill turf. That victory was the first on the year for the Al

Stall Jr. trainee, and opened up more options for the colt who had not

previously traveled beyond 1 1/4 miles. Lattice, who will carry 118 pounds, drew the inside post for the

Stars and Stripes and will be ridden by Julien Leparoux.

The 2006 Stars and Stripes winner MAJOR RHYTHM (Rhythm) was last of seven

when defending his title last year, but has been in better form of late, most

recently scoring by a half-length in the Rossi Gold S. at 1 3/16 miles. Another

veteran in the field, SILVERFOOT (With Approval), is a three-time winner of the

Louisville H., but has struggled in recent years with a 1-0-1 record in his past

13 starts.

A.P. XCELLENT (A.P. Indy), who ran Lava Man (Slew City Slew) to a nose

decision in the Hollywood Gold Cup (G1) last season, has finished first or

second in three allowance/optional claimers over the Churchill turf this year

and might make his presence felt here. Another up-and-comer, TELLING (A.P.

Indy), won his turf debut two back and then was beaten a length into third after

tracking a soft pace in the Rossi Gold.

The Stars and Stripes field in post order, with jockey and weight, is

Lattice; Cloudy's Knight; BOROBUDUR (Kingmambo), Florent Geroux, 110; Major

Rhythm, Trey Agilar, 114; CANELA (El Corredor), James Graham, 112; Telling,

Eddie Razo Jr.,114; RUMOR HAS IT (Awesome Again), Eddie Perez, 112; A.P.

Xcellent, Larry Melancon, 115; and Silverfoot, Rene Douglas, 114.