The Kingdom Has Come

It may have taken a while, but now both Curlin and Palace Malice have broken through the barriers. After mediocre results as a sire in 2012, many were quick to discount Curlin as a potential top class sire. Even earlier this year, many used Palace Malice, his best son racing, as a point to support their argument. Palace was the under achiever. He was the horse that simply couldn’t ever win.

 

All of that changed the second weekend in June as Palace Malice pulled away to a win in the grade one Belmont Stakes, giving his sire his first grade one winner and a classic winner in his first crop. Other promising young horses like Socialbug and Ride on Curlin have also helped put Curlin on the hot list in 2013, but it would seem nobody is running hotter than Palace Malice.

 

In his first start after the Belmont Stakes, Palace Malice stalked runaway Dwyer winner Moreno, pressured him throughout the nine furlongs of the Jim Dandy, drew even with him and put him away. Is this really the same horse we saw cause himself so much trouble that he became his own worst enemy on the track?

 

The answer is no. Palace Malice has grown and matured into one of the fastest, most talented, and most dangerous horses in his division. The final time of the Jim Dandy, 1.47.37, was the second fastest running of the race in its history. It is also the fastest any horse of his generation has run the distance. He also became the first Belmont winner since 1982 to win the Jim Dandy.

 

The Belmont is known for grounding horses, taking so much out of them that they can’t recover for the remainder of the year or even at all. Palace Malice seemed to flourish after the race. After the race he was doing so well, Todd Pletcher worked him ahead of schedule. If anything, after the Belmont Palace Malice only became stronger.

 

Being a May foal, and seeing his accent in form over the last couple of months, one has to expect more of the same from the promising Curlin colt. Way back when I said I believed this colt would sweep the Saratoga Three year old Stakes. I now not only believe that, but believe he will be crowned division champion at years end. I believe when all is said and done the Kingdom will have come, and it’s conqueror will be Palace Malice.