Palace, Happy My Way could meet again in Vosburgh
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - A rematch between Palace and Happy My Way, the one-two finishers in Saturday’s Grade 1 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap, will likely have to wait until the fall as both horses have the Grade 1 Vosburgh at Belmont on Sept. 27 as their objectives.
Linda Rice, the trainer of Palace, has not completely ruled out running back in the Grade 1 Forego here on Aug. 30, but said given the schedule that her colt has maintained, she might prefer to give him some time.
The Vanderbilt was the third race for Palace in eight weeks, following a 3 1/2-month layoff. He won the Grade 2 True North at Belmont on June 6, and then finished second to Clearly Now in the Grade 3 Belmont Sprint Championship on July 5 before winning the Vanderbilt
“I’m going to see how he trains out of the race and decide if we want to run him back,” Rice said. “I’d hate to wait all the way until the end of September.”
Rice said the way Palace has run lately does have her thinking the New York-bred could be a candidate for the Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Santa Anita on Nov. 1.
“I think he’s certainly good enough. It’s just a matter of whether he’s good at that time,” Rice said. “We’re certainly going to think Vosburgh and Breeders’ Cup. Whether we run in the Forego or not I think it all depends on how he comes out of the race, how well he’s training, and who shows up.”
Expected to show up for the Forego is Clearly Now, who defeated Palace by 6 1/4 lengths in the Belmont Sprint Championship and seems more of a seven-furlong specialist.
One horse not expected to show up is Happy My Way, who set the pace in the Vanderbilt before finishing second. Trainer Joe Orseno feared his horse might have been a little short coming off an 11-week layoff but that his targets were the Vosburgh and Breeders’ Cup Sprint anyway.
Palace gave Rice her first Grade 1 victory at Saratoga since City Zip won the Hopeful in 2000. Coincidentally, City Zip is the sire of Palace.
“To get the Grade 1 it really solidifies him as having some value as a stallion and it’s even more special that I won a Grade 1 here at Saratoga with his father as well,” Rice said.
Since claiming him in October 2012 for $20,000, Palace has won 9 of 16 starts and earned $979,550 for Rice and owner Antonino Miucci.
He earned a career-best 106 Beyer Speed Figure for the Vanderbilt performance.