By Chris Duncan
The Associated Press

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Posse surged past Roll Hennessy Roll in the stretch for a 2 1/4-length win in Sunday's $107,900 Grade III Lafayette Stakes for three-year-olds at Keeneland.

The Steve Asmussen-trained son of Silver Deputy won for the second time in three starts and is now 2-for-2 for jockey Corey Lanerie, who replaced suspended regular rider Donnie Meche. Lanerie also guided Posse to victory in a February allowance race at the Fair Grounds.

On Sunday, Posse covered the seven furlongs in 1:23.14 and paid $6, $3.60 and $3.20 as the 2-1 favorite in the field of six. The bay colt earned $66,898 for Heiligbrodt Stable and captured his first graded stakes since last May's Kentucky Breeders Cup.

"He is a really nice colt," Asmussen said. "I'm glad to get him back to the stature he deserves."

Roll Hennessy Roll, under jockey Shane Sellers, paid $3.40 and $3.20 as the 5-2 second choice. Bossanova, the 12-1 longshot with Jerry Bailey aboard, was 2 1/4 lengths back in third and paid $4.

Whywhywhy was fourth, followed by Battle Won. The D. Wayne Lukas-trained Quick Draw was last, failing to place for the first time in five starts.

Bossanova charged to the lead out of the gate, building a one-length gap over Roll Hennessy Roll. Posse was second-to-last early, slipping five lengths back as Bossanova ran the first quarter-mile in a swift 21.68 seconds.

Lanerie didn't panic, despite the wider-than-expected early deficit.

"I was actually further back than I thought I would be," Lanerie said. "I thought they were going kind of fast up front, so I just settled back in a comfortable seat."

Posse was fourth, 3 1/2 lengths from the lead, as the field turned for home. Roll Hennessy Roll passed Bossanova in the stretch before Lanerie moved Posse to the outside for the final push.

"At the end, he had his ears up and still had a lot left," Lanerie said.