Palace Malice made even-money for Whitney

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Palace Malice, the leading older male dirt horse in training, drew post 5 and was installed as the even-money favorite for Saturdays’ Grade 1, $1.5 million Whitney Invitational at Saratoga.

Palace Malice, trained by Todd Pletcher for Cot Campbell’s Dogwood Stable, is 4 for 4 this year and is coming off a one-length victory in the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap at Belmont Park on June 7. John Velazquez will ride.

Palace Malice is one of four horses from last year’s Travers Stakes to enter the Whitney. Palace Malice finished fourth in the Travers after getting away poorly.

Will Take Charge won the Travers by a nose over Moreno. Those two are back in the Whitney as is Romansh, who finished fifth.
Will Take Charge, trained by D. Wayne Lukas for Willis Horton, drew the rail, a spot that didn’t particularly please his trainer.

“I try not to get too caught up in it," Lukas said. "It’s not a post I’d have picked. On the other hand, I’ve been around long enough to know that sometimes it falls right into place, too. We’ll try to make the most of it.”

Will Take Charge will be reunited with Luis Saez, who rode him to victory in the Travers.

Moreno, the main speed of the race, will break from post 3 under Junior Alvarado.

Prayer for Relief, third in the Suburban last out, is in post 2.

Outside of Moreno are Itsmyluckyday, Palace Malice, Departing, Romansh, Golden Ticket and Last Gunfighter.

Trainer Chad Brown opted to run Last Gunfighter in the Whitney and point Zivo, winner of the Suburban last out, to the Grade 1, $600,000 Woodward here on Aug. 30.

The Whitney is a Win and You’re In race for the Breeders’ Cup Classic. It will be shown live on NBC Sports and go postward at 5:45 p.m. Eastern.