Palace Malice Retires from Racing

“It is with great disappointment that we announce the retirement of Palace Malice,” said Dogwood Stable’s President Cot Campbell. “He is the horse of a lifetime who has brought our partners exciting memories that will live on forever. He did it all for us, winning a Classic and the Met Mile, and a whole lot more along the way. After getting a clean bill of health in November subsequent to an uncharacteristic performance in the Whitney (G1) last year, I owed it to my partners and the fans to give it our best shot to see if we could bring the mighty son of Curlin back in 2015. Despite our sporting effort, it was not meant to be.”

Called “the best horse in America” after capturing four Graded Stakes in a row in 2014, including the stallion-making Met Mile, Palace Malice will stand the upcoming breeding season at Three Chimneys Farm. Palace Malice is the leading earner of 2-time Horse of the Year Curlin, and retires with career earnings of $2,691,135, scoring the rare combination of wins in the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes and the Grade 1 Metropolitan Hcp, where he ran 3/5ths off the stakes record defeating Goldencents, a 2-time Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Mile winner. In four years, Palace Malice started 19 times, with seven wins including a trio of Grade 2’s – the Jim Dandy Stakes, the Gulfstream Park Handicap and the New Orleans Handicap; as well as a victory in the Grade 3 Westchester Stakes. Ranked atop the handicap division for the better part of his four-year-old season, Palace Malice owns the highest Beyer Speed Figure up to a mile in 2014.

Trainer Todd Pletcher added “Palace Malice was all class from day one. He was one of those rare horses whose raw speed allowed him to dominate his division as a miler yet whose stamina had him winning the Belmont against the best of his generation. He was the most versatile horse I have ever trained, and one of the best. You don't see such a talented, multi-dimensional horse like this very often. To win the Belmont one year and come back the next year and win the Met Mile in 1:33 2/5 … it’s an unbelievable accomplishment, and indicative of his exceptional talent.”

“Palace Malice is a valuable addition to the strengthening roster at Three Chimneys, as he possesses a superb physical to go along with an amazing body of work as a racehorse. He sprinted at two, went the classic distance at three, and showed off his miler versatility at four. The retirement of Palace Malice speaks further to Three Chimneys’ narrative of collaborating with like-minded partners so as to expand its base. John Malone’s Bridlewood Farm will be a cornerstone partner in the horse, and we anticipate that a coalition of shareholder partners will be added over the next month to ensure this extraordinary horse’s chances to succeed at stud,” said Vice Chair of the Three Chimneys’ Board, Doug Cauthen. “Palace Malice has the sire power, the looks, and the backing to be a commercial success as well as to become an important stallion, and we look forward to showing him during the September Sales” added Grant Williamson, Director of Stallion Nominations and Sales at Three Chimneys.