Post by beauhunter on Jul 31, 2014 2:09:52 GMT
As Swale has noted though, this is a stacked field - Moreno, Itsmyluckyday and Last Gunfighter will also face off against Palace Malice. From the Courier-Journal:
Palace Malice, Will Take Charge contest Whitney
Jennie Rees, jrees@courier-journal.com 5:08 p.m. EDT July 30, 2014
Metropolitan Mile winner Palace Malice, this season's top-ranked horse off his 4-for-4 campaign thus far, was made the even-money favorite in the field of nine older horses entered Wednesday for Saturday's nationally-televised Whitney Stakes at Saratoga.
With a $1.5 million purse, the 1 1/8-mile Whitney becomes the richest race ever held at Saratoga, topping the $1 million Travers.
"I think you certainly have to put the Whitney up there as one of the most coveted prizes in American racing," said Todd Pletcher, trainer of Palace Malice, who won last year's Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park after finishing 12th in the Kentucky Derby. "It's a historic race. It's the focal race for older horses at our most prestigious meet. It carries a lot of weight for championship honors. It's a race we hold in very high regard."
Palace Malice will break from post 5 in a field that includes 4-1 second choice Will Take Charge, last year's Travers winner at Saratoga in a race in which Palace Malice finished a close fourth after breaking awkwardly.
"I felt like we let a Travers slip away from us there," Pletcher said. "He simply didn't break well, spotted the field and came away last, and the fractions weren't real fast. I thought he ran a great race to almost overcome that."
Will Take Charge, who beat out Palace Malice to be 3-year-old champion last year, drew the No. 1 post for the Whitney, much to trainer D. Wayne Lukas' consternation.
"I hate to have an upset stomach this early in the morning," Lukas said. "Not good. I never really have much luck on the rail in any big race, not really in (a race) of this magnitude."
The race is dominated by former Travers starters: Moreno, who lost the 2013 Travers by a nose; 2013 fifth-place Romansh; and Golden Ticket, who won in 2012 in a dead-heat with Alpha. Others include Departing, third in Churchill Downs' Grade I Stephen Foster in his last start and the 2013 Super Derby winner; 2013 Preakness runner-up Itsmyluckyday; $1.7 million-earner Prayer for Relief and 2013 Hawthorne Gold Cup winner Last Gunfighter.
Palace Malice, Will Take Charge contest Whitney
Jennie Rees, jrees@courier-journal.com 5:08 p.m. EDT July 30, 2014
Metropolitan Mile winner Palace Malice, this season's top-ranked horse off his 4-for-4 campaign thus far, was made the even-money favorite in the field of nine older horses entered Wednesday for Saturday's nationally-televised Whitney Stakes at Saratoga.
With a $1.5 million purse, the 1 1/8-mile Whitney becomes the richest race ever held at Saratoga, topping the $1 million Travers.
"I think you certainly have to put the Whitney up there as one of the most coveted prizes in American racing," said Todd Pletcher, trainer of Palace Malice, who won last year's Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park after finishing 12th in the Kentucky Derby. "It's a historic race. It's the focal race for older horses at our most prestigious meet. It carries a lot of weight for championship honors. It's a race we hold in very high regard."
Palace Malice will break from post 5 in a field that includes 4-1 second choice Will Take Charge, last year's Travers winner at Saratoga in a race in which Palace Malice finished a close fourth after breaking awkwardly.
"I felt like we let a Travers slip away from us there," Pletcher said. "He simply didn't break well, spotted the field and came away last, and the fractions weren't real fast. I thought he ran a great race to almost overcome that."
Will Take Charge, who beat out Palace Malice to be 3-year-old champion last year, drew the No. 1 post for the Whitney, much to trainer D. Wayne Lukas' consternation.
"I hate to have an upset stomach this early in the morning," Lukas said. "Not good. I never really have much luck on the rail in any big race, not really in (a race) of this magnitude."
The race is dominated by former Travers starters: Moreno, who lost the 2013 Travers by a nose; 2013 fifth-place Romansh; and Golden Ticket, who won in 2012 in a dead-heat with Alpha. Others include Departing, third in Churchill Downs' Grade I Stephen Foster in his last start and the 2013 Super Derby winner; 2013 Preakness runner-up Itsmyluckyday; $1.7 million-earner Prayer for Relief and 2013 Hawthorne Gold Cup winner Last Gunfighter.