2013 Belmont Stakes (gr. I) winner Palace Malice, whose 2015 campaign has been best by minor injuries and setbacks, returned to the work tab on Saturday at Belmont Park and is gearing up for a return to the races later this summer.
Trained by Todd Pletcher, the son of Curlin bruised his feet on two separate occasions this spring, causing him to miss a scheduled start in the Westchester Handicap (gr. III) on May 2nd. He did make it back to the races on May 10th to finish a respectable third in the six-furlong Diablo Stakes at Belmont, but was sidelined shortly thereafter with an infected tendon sheath that caused him to miss a couple months of training. However, the son of Curlin resumed serious training on July 4th when he breezed a half-mile in a modest :49.76 at Belmont, and with that workout under his belt, he should be ready to return to the races in time for the prestigious Saratoga meet that runs from July 24 through September 7th.
Owned by Dogwood Stable and Three Chimneys Farm, Palace Malice is a six-time graded stakes winner that counts the Metropolitan Handicap (gr. I) and Jim Dandy Stakes (gr. II) among his other major victories. All told, he has compiled a record of 7 wins, 4 seconds, and 2 third from 18 starts, with earnings of $2,686,135.
Palace Malice winning the 2013 Belmont Stakes