Palace makes rare statebred stakes appearance
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Palace will return to statebred competition for the first time in 18 months when he takes on seven others, including defending champ Weekend Hideaway, in Thursday’s $100,000 John Morrissey at Saratoga.
Trainer Linda Rice had the option of running Palace in the Morrissey or bringing him back Saturday to defend his title in the Grade 1 Alfred G. Vanderbilt, and she opted for the easier spot in his first start since finishing fifth in the Grade 1 Carter Handicap nearly four months ago. The Carter was Palace’s only start since finishing sixth in the 2014 Breeders’ Cup Sprint. Rice said the Grade 1 Forego here on Aug. 29 is the target for Palace.
“He hasn’t run since the Carter, and I just want to give him the chance to get going the right way,” said Rice. “The main goal here is still the Forego, and going forward, there are so many other big races in the fall. Obviously, I think he needs a race to get underway.”
Palace has become a two-time Grade 1 winner since finishing second behind Moonlight Song when last facing statebreds at Aqueduct in January 2014. He also won the Forego here last summer, rallying to a 3 1/2-length victory over Big Business.
Weekend Hideaway will trying to get his form going back in the right direction in the 6 1/2-furlong John Morrissey. Weekend Hideaway led throughout to win this race here last summer and came back several months later to run the race of his life when cruising to a four-length triumph in the Sunshine Millions Sprint at Gulfstream Park. But he finished off the board in two subsequent starts, then was pulled up immediately after the break in an allowance race last month at Monmouth Park.
The 8-year-old Moonlight Song has been idle since winning the 6 1/2-furlong Hudson Handicap at Belmont Park on Oct. 18. He finished fifth after contesting the early pace with Weekend Hideway in the 2014 Morrissey.
Completing the field are John’s Island, Noble Cornerstone, Smooth Bert, Ostrolenka, Readthebyline, and Noble Cornerstone.
Key Contenders
Palace (Last 3 Beyers: 93-97-101)
A horse for the course, he has won three times and has not been off the board in five previous starts at Saratoga.
He’s never lost at 6 1/2 furlongs, having won an allowance race at Belmont at 3 and an overnight stakes here the following summer in his only two starts at the distance.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 4 Palace. Trainer Linda Rice is 19-0-3-3 over the past five years on dirt at Saratoga with horses returning from a layoff of 60 days or more. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
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Weekend Hideaway (Last 3 Beyers: 69-79-107)
Like Palace, he loves the local course, having won three of five starts at Saratoga during his career.
But he must break from the rail, as he did at Monmouth.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 1 Weekend Hideaway. Trainer Phil Serpe is 50-12-4-7 with a $4.63 ROI over the past five years in dirt sprints at Saratoga. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
Moonlight Song (Last 3 Beyers: 97-91-98)
He runs well fresh. He captured a second-level allowance race for New York-breds off a 7 1/2-month layoff during the spring of 2013, and was fourth in the Grade 3 Belmont Sprint last summer off a near six-month layoff.
Ostrolenka (Last 3 Beyers: 65-79-87)
The only 3-year-old in the field, he defeated older rivals winning a second-level allowance race for New York-breds at Belmont earlier this season.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 3 Ostrolenka. Trainer Todd Pletcher is 29-3-4-3 with a $0.75 ROI over the past five years going route to sprint on dirt at Saratoga. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 6 Smooth Bert. Trainer Leah Gyarmati is 28-9-2-4 with a $5.41 ROI over the past five years in dirt sprints with last-out winners. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan