Alydar tough spot for Palace Malice’s return
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – In some years, the field assembled for the $100,000 Alydar Stakes at Saratoga could pass for the Whitney Stakes. But this year’s Whitney drew a stellar cast, which may have prompted some in the Alydar to look for the proverbial easier spot.
The 1 1/8-mile Alydar on Sunday marks the return to the races of Palace Malice, the beaten favorite in the 2014 Whitney who is seeking to put together a strong second half of 2015 before being retired at year’s end. But this is no easy spot for the multiple Grade 1 winner.
The in-form Matrooh looks ready for his stakes debut, though he’s marooned in post 12 and could skip the race. If you throw out Bay of Plenty’s Metropolitan Handicap, where he steadied sharply early in the race, he certainly fits.
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Mexikoma looked good in winning an allowance at Belmont off a 15-month layoff. Souper Lucky has recorded three triple-digit Beyer Speed Figures in his last five starts. And we haven’t mentioned Golden Ticket, who dead-heated for the win in the Travers here in 2013.
It has been a long road back to the races for Palace Malice, who has had foot issues that limited him to one start – a third in the six-furlong Diablo Stakes – this year.
But his last two works have trainer Todd Pletcher believing that Palace Malice is back to his old self. Last Saturday, Palace Malice worked five furlongs in 59.32 seconds.
“I’ve been really pleased with the way he’s been training,” Pletcher said. “I thought his last breeze was particularly quite good.”
KEY CONTENDERS
Palace Malice (Last 3 Beyers: 91-91-112)
◗ Six-time graded stakes winner towers over the field on paper but hasn’t won in 14 months and has only raced twice since that Met Mile victory of 2014.
◗ Carries the top weight of 123 pounds.
Matrooh (Last 3 Beyers: 97-96-90)
◗ Has gone through his allowance conditions impressively and now steps into stakes company.
◗ His lone loss in his last four starts was around two turns, but he had trouble with the dirt being kicked in his face, and the winner of that race was subsequent Grade 1 winner Noble Bird.
◗ Trainer Chad Brown said he was concerned about post 12.
“Not only is it a big field and you’re parked out there, it’s a big field full of good horses; could be a tall order,” Brown said. “He’s a nice horse. His numbers fit.”
Bay of Plenty (Last 3 Beyers: 66-97-97)
◗ Was eliminated early when nearly clipping heels with another rival in the first quarter of the Met Mile.
◗ Scratched out of the Belmont Sprint Championship after he drew the rail. Drew the rail again Sunday.
“The 1 hole going two turns is an advantage instead of a disadvantage,” trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said.
◗ In two tries around two turns, he has a maiden win over Aqueduct’s inner track and a second to Protonico in the Grade 3 Discovery.
Mexikoma (Last 3 Beyers: 100-89-88)
◗ Came off a 13-month layoff to win a first-level allowance going 1 1/16 miles at Belmont on June 28.
◗ His connections wanted to run him in a second-level allowance race earlier this week that didn’t fill.