Lattice hugs the hedge in Louisville

Lattice is on the upswing for trainer Al Stall Jr. (Reed Palmer/Churchill Downs) Adele B. Dilschneider and Claiborne Farm's homebred LATTICE (Arch) capitalized on a perfect trip to take Saturday's $170,100 Louisville H. (G3) at Churchill Downs. Not only was the Al Stall Jr. pupil able to skim the hedge from his inside post, but he was also forwardly placed by Robby Albarado in a paceless affair. Lattice tracked the leading Transduction Gold (Formal Gold), who waltzed through fractions of :26 1/5, :52, 1:17 1/5 and 1:42 1/5, before launching his challenge turning for home. Transduction Gold tried to hold him off, but Lattice proved too much to handle and edged away by three-quarters of a length. The 5-2 second choice finished 1 1/2 miles on the firm turf in 2:31 and rewarded his backers with mutuels of $7.40, $4.60 and $4.20. "This horse is growing up," said Albarado, who bagged four wins on the card. "I rode him all last year and I felt like I always had to shove on him and get him some position. I had to make him do things, but we thought a lot of him. This year, he's taking himself into the race and he's running." "I just thought it would be best if Robby just put him in a trance and let him just go steady, because in his training it just seems like he can literally gallop all day long," Stall explained.

Transduction Gold's strong runner-up effort belied his 34-1 odds, while

producing windfalls of $23.80 and $13 to his faithful fans. The 46-1

Birdbirdistheword (Pure Prize) rallied for third and paid $13.20. Brass Hat

(Prized), the 2-1 favorite, unleashed a late charge from last to secure fourth.

The exotics totaled $203.80 (exacta), $3,702 (trifecta) and $36,124.20 (1-4-8-5

superfecta). Three-time Louisville champion Silverfoot (With Approval) got up

for fifth, trailed by Biggerbadderbetter (Sahm), Save Big Money (Storm Cat),

Pickapocket (Mecke), Lord Carmen (Ordway), Spider Power (Ire) (Royal Applause

[GB]) and Firerock Base (Indian Charlie), who was eased and did not finish.

Lattice was visiting the winner's circle for the first time since the

American Derby (G2) at Arlington Park last July. Transferred to Stall over the

winter, the four-year-old dark bay placed third in the Allen "Black Cat" Lacombe

Memorial H. in his reappearance at Fair Grounds. Lattice was coming off a

troubled second to Pickapocket in a Keeneland allowance. His scorecard now reads

9-4-2-1, $345,233.

The Kentucky-bred is out of the Rahy mare Lateral, who has also produced

stakes victress Cross (Mighty), an unnamed juvenile full sister to Lattice, an

unnamed yearling colt by Storm Boot and a 2008 filly by Pulpit. Lattice descends

from the influential Alluvial (Buckpasser), the dam of two-time champion Slew O'

Gold (Seattle Slew) and 1979 Belmont S. (G1) upsetter Coastal (Majestic Prince).

This is the family of multiple Grade 1 hero and $1.8 million earner Aptitude (A.P.

Indy).

The Louisville trophy was presented by Hall of Famer Don Brumfield, who was

celebrating his 70th birthday. The second leading rider in Churchill history,

Brumfield won 12 local riding titles.