Palace works for Vanderbilt Handicap
Palace, the former claimer turned multiple graded stakes winner, will set his sights on his first Grade 1 race in next Saturday’s $350,000 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap at Saratoga.
On Saturday, Palace put in his final breeze for the Vanderbilt by working four furlongs in 48.29 seconds over the main track, galloping out five furlongs in 1:00.22.
“Very happy with the way he’s coming into this race,” trainer Linda Rice said. “He won over the course last year, six furlongs is right up his alley, and he’s training great.”
In 10 starts at six furlongs, Palace has a record of 5-4-1.
Last year, Palace won the Chowder’s First Stakes for New York-breds going six furlongs over Saratoga’s main track, beating the Grade 1 winner The Lumber Guy. Palace, who last year won the Grade 3 Fall Highweight, won the Grade 2 True North two starts back and most recently finished second to Clearly Now in the Grade 3 Belmont Sprint Championship.
Falling Sky, the winner of the Grade 3 Gulfstream Park Sprint Championship in February, worked five furlongs in 1:01.80 over the Oklahoma training track Saturday. It was the fastest of seven moves at the distance.
Though Falling Sky appears better suited to seven-furlong races, trainer George Weaver said he would like to try the horse at six furlongs and will use either this race or the $100,000 Robert Byrd Memorial Stakes at Mountaineer the same day. Either race would be used as a prep toward the Grade 1 Forego going seven furlongs here Aug. 30.
“Curious to see what he would do at six furlongs at some point, and that’s why we’re kind of looking at these two races, and it makes sense to run the horse between now and the Forego,” Weaver said.
Others pointing to the Vanderbilt are Bahamian Squall, Bakken, Capo Bastone, Happy My Way, and Salutos Amigos. Dads Caps and Vyjack are possible.