Palace Malice points to Westchester

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Palace Malice, the recent winner of the Grade 2 New Orleans Handicap, will make his next start in the Grade 3, $150,000 Westchester at Belmont Park on May 11, his connections announced in a press release Wednesday.

The Westchester was chosen over races such as the Alysheba at Churchill Downs and the Pimlico Special and will be used as a prep for the Grade 1, $1.25 million Metropolitan Handicap at Belmont on June 7.

“Todd [Pletcher] and I discussed other early May races for the horse, but it is logical that if we wish to run in the Met Mile – an enticing target for a purse of $1,250,000 and stallion prestige – the logical thing is to run precisely the same distance on the same racetrack,” Cot Campbell, president of Dogwood Stable, said in the release. “Should we find that it is not his cup of tea, we can adjust our June 7 plans and look at the longer Brooklyn Handicap.

The Grade 2, $500,000 Brooklyn Invitational is run at 1 1/2 miles, the same distance as the Belmont Stakes, which Palace Malice won last year.

Palace Malice, a son of Curlin, is 2 for 2 this year, with a win in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Handicap – also a one-turn mile – March 8.

Campbell said Palace Malice is scheduled to breeze Sunday at Palm Meadows and then ship to New York shortly thereafter. Campbell also said that John Velazquez, aboard for the Gulfstream Park Handicap victory, will ride Palace Malice in the Westchester.