Met Mile: Palace Malice completes Belmont/Met Mile double

ELMONT, N.Y. - After three tough beats in graded stakes earlier on the card, trainer Todd Pletcher went to his most reliable weapon to turn this year’s Belmont Stakes Day into another memorable afternoon.

Palace Malice, one year after winning the Belmont Stakes, solidified his status as the top older male in training with a one-length victory in Saturday’s Grade 1, $1.25 million Metropolitan Handicap at Belmont Park. Goldencents, last year’s Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile winner who hadn’t run in six months, ran a game race to be second, three-quarters of a length in front of longshot Romansh.

Shakin It Up finished fourth and was vanned off due to lameness in his left foreleg, according to Dr. Larry Bramlage, who said the horse was going to be further examined back at the barn.

Palace Malice, a son of two-time Horse of the Year Curlin, won for the fourth time in as many starts this year and seventh from 16 in his career. He also joined a select list of horses to have won the Belmont Stakes at 3 and return as an older horse to win the Met Mile.

The Finn (1915-16), Native Dancer (1953-54), High Gun (1954-55), and Gallant Man (1957-58) all won the Met at 4 after winning the Belmont. Grey Lag won the 1921 Belmont and the 1923 Met Mile. Bowling Brook (1898), Sword Dancer (1959), Arts and Letters (1969), and Conquistador Cielo (1982) won both races the same year.

Palace Malice won the Met Mile against 11 rivals while breaking from the rail and carrying top weight of 124 pounds, spotting the field three to14 pounds.

“I was very, very concerned when he drew the one post - that could be difficult to overcome - and carrying 124 pounds,” Pletcher said. “What can you say about the quality of a horse that’s able to do that one year after winning a classic going a mile-and-a-half?”

Palace Malice broke okay, jockey John Velazquez said, but then he scrambled for a few strides shortly after the start. Velazquez said he used his horse to get into the race and he was fifth behind Broadway Empire, who set fractions of 23.01 seconds for the quarter and 45.70 while being chased by Goldencents.

Coming to the of the stretch, Palace Malice was fourth behind Broadway Empire, Goldencents, and Romansh, who had moved three-wide to join the leaders.

In the stretch, there appeared to be enough room between Goldencents and Broadway Empire to split, but Palace Malice was a bit hesitant for a few strides. He finally shot through the opening with a sixteenth of a mile to run and he gradually drew clear to get the victory.

“I know he’s [used to] going around horses so I kept him busy in the spot that I wanted,” Velazquez said. “The spot was there. He was hesitant a little bit to get there, but once he got through it was all over.”

Palace Malice, owned by Cot Campbell’s Dogwood Stable, covered the mile in 1:33.56 and returned $4.70 as the 6-5 favorite.

For Pletcher, the win helped salvage an afternoon in which Princess of Sylmar was beaten a head in the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps, Sweet Whiskey was beaten a half-length in the Grade 1 Acorn, and Micromanage was beaten a neck in the Grade 2 Brooklyn.

“We’re about a neck and a nose away from having an unbelievable day,” said Pletcher, who started 17 horses on Saturday’s card. “But that softened it so far.”