Palace Malice Wins the Belmont

Curlin's son, Palace Malice, won the third leg of the Triple Crown today at Belmont Park.  I couldn't narrow my choices down to less than five horses in the gate today.  Palace Malice won the race by 3 1/4 lengths, with Oxbow (the Preakness winner) in second, and Orb (the Kentucky Derby winner) in third. I picked the first and second place horses, as well as Unlimited Budget, the filly, who finished 6th; Golden Soul, who finished 9th, and Midnight Taboo who was 12th of  fourteen.  Grey colt Incognito was fourth and Revolutionary finished in the last monied spot (fifth).  Overanalyze was seventh, Vyjack was eighth; Will Take Charge as the tenth horse to cross the finish line, followed by Giant Finish, Midnight Taboo,Freedom Child and Frac Daddy.
  The track had dried out pretty well by the start time.  Mike Smith, aged 48, rode the second-place finishers in each Triple Crown race last year, but he was in the irons of Palace Malice today.  Today was his second win in the Belmont.  Todd Pletcher was the winning trainer, Dogwood Stables is the owner, and the breeder was W. S. Farish.  Palace Malice  is out of the mare Palace Rumor, by Royal Anthem.  The sire of Royal Anthem is Theatrical, the turf Breeders Cup winner.

Palace Malice

No Triple Crown Winner This Year

I watched several of the races before today's Preakness.  I have to confess that, after watching Skyring win the Dixie Stakes, I made a fourth $10 to win bet.  Skyring last won a race last year, in May, at Pimlico; the trainer is D Wayne Lucas, and the jockey Gary Stevens.  I had picked Oxbow in the Kentucky Derby two weeks ago; but he turned up as the longest bet for the Preakness today, and I just had a feeling that the Lucas-Stevens combination wouldn't be beaten.  Oxbow was on the lead from the gate to the wire.  He was tired, but finished gamely - and I ended up with a winning bet.  My $10 returned as $328;  of course, I did loose $30 on my other bets, but I ended up in the black.
  Itsmyluckyday ran his eyeballs out, and finished just in front of Mylute, who was third.  Orb did not have an excuse for his fourth place finish, other than he's never been caught and trapped on the inside - and he apparently didn't like it.  Goldencents finished in fifth, with Departing (another of my picks) in sixth.  Will Take Charge was seventh, Govenor Charlie was eighth, and Titletown Five completed the field.  SO my betting choices ran first, second, sixth and eighth - not a wonderful set, but I did pick Oxbow.
  It was great seeing D Wayne Lucas and Gary being interviewed together - it took me back to the Kentucky Derby of 1988 and the grey filly Winning Colors.  Nice memories.

Gary Stevens waves his whip after winning the Preakness on Oxbow

25 years ago - Gary Stevens and Winning Colors after the 1988 Kentucky Derby