Scratch of Palace Malice leaves Tonalist heavy favorite in Westchester
A highly anticipated meeting between the last two Belmont Stakes winners in Saturday’s Grade 3, $150,000 Westchester Stakes at Belmont Park won’t take place after a minor foot injury forced the connections of Palace Malice, the 2013 Belmont winner, to scratch.
His scratch leaves a four-horse field with 2014 Belmont Stakes winner Tonalist seemingly a strong favorite. Last year, Palace Malice won a four-horse Westchester by 9 3/4 lengths on his way to victory in the $1.25 million Metropolitan Handicap.
The connections of Palace Malice were hoping to use this year’s Westchester as a stepping-stone to the Met Mile, but will now have to come up with a different plan.
According to trainer Todd Pletcher, who is in Louisville, Ky., for Saturday’s Kentucky Derby, Palace Malice had heat and pulse in the inside quarter of his right front foot Thursday morning and was off “half a tick,” Pletcher said.
Pletcher said his Belmont-based assistant, Byron Hughes, sent Pletcher a video of Palace Malice jogging and he concurred the horse was not 100 percent.
“Bad timing,” Pletcher said. “It’s day-to-day. Sometimes these things resolve themselves in a day or two.”
The issue could put Palace Malice’s appearance in the Met Mile in doubt. If so, he would be the second major horse the Met will have lost in the last two weeks. Shared Belief, among the top older horses in training, sustained a hip fracture during the running of the Charles Town Classic and will be out several months.
Meanwhile, Tonalist will now be heavily favored in the Westchester in what will be his first start since running fifth in the Breeders’ Cup Classic last November.
The connections of Tonalist chose the Westchester over the Pimlico Special - despite the fact they were in line for a bonus just for showing up at Pimlico - because they preferred the mile to 1 3/16 miles for his return. Also, Tonalist is undefeated in three starts at Belmont Park, winning graded stakes races at 1 1/8 miles, 1 1/4 miles, and 1 1/2 miles.
“I’m very excited to see him back,” trainer Christophe Clement said. “He’s a very good horse. Because he’s a very good horse he might be good at a mile.”
Juba, a winner of two straight allowance races; Confrontation, runner-up to Pants On Fire in the Sir Shackleton Stakes on Florida Derby Day; and Souper Lucky round out the field. There will be no show wagering.
The Westchester goes as race 6 on a 12-race card that begins at noon Eastern and includes the Grade 2, $200,000 Sheepshead Bay (race 4) and the Grade 3, $150,000 Fort Marcy (race 10). Among the runners in the Fort Marcy are 2014 Travers winner V.E. Day and Belmont Derby winner Mr Speaker.
Westchester Stakes, race 6
KEY CONTENDERS
Tonalist (Last 3 Beyers: 105-106-98)
◗ Is a three-time graded stakes winner over the track but is shortening up to one mile, a distance at which he finished fourth in his career debut at Aqueduct.
» Is getting blinkers added after having had them removed for the Jockey Club Gold Cup, which he won, and the Breeders’ Cup Classic. Last year, when equipped with blinkers for the first time, he won a maiden race at Gulfstream. Was also ridden by Joe Bravo in his maiden win, and Bravo has the call Saturday with Joel Rosario at the Kentucky Derby.
◗ Tonalist blew out a swift half-mile in 47.44 seconds Wednesday.
Juba (Last 3 Beyers: 96-83-67)
◗ Stretches out to a one-turn mile after victories at 6 1/2 and seven furlongs.
◗ In receipt of eight pounds from the two Belmont winners, expect Juba to play catch-me-if-you can under Angel Arroyo.
Confrontation (Last 3 Beyers: 103-100-105)
◗ Runner-up to Pants on Fire in the Sir Shackleton Stakes going seven furlongs at Gulfstream Park.
◗ Is winless in two starts at a mile but has run extremely well at Belmont Park with two wins and two seconds from four starts.