Palace Malice, a son of 2007 Horse of the Year Curlin, will not run in the
Grade 2, $300,000 Three Chimneys Hopeful Stakes on Monday because of a
pronounced bucked shin.
“He bucked his shins and
he’ll be off for a little while,” said trainer Todd Pletcher of the Dogwood
Stable colt, who missed by a half-length when second in his debut to Carried
Interest at Belmont Park and then won a 6 ½-furlong maiden race by 3 ½ lengths
on August 4 at the Spa.
Palace Malice breezed four
furlongs in 48.90 seconds on Monday, after which the bucked shin – an
inflammation around bones in the front legs – was discovered. The minor injury
is common in young race horses.
“He is a May foal, so it’s
not a complete shock that he has bucked,” Dogwood President Cot Campbell said in
a prepared statement. “But it is a blow, because we thought he would be salty to
accomplish Dogwood’s third win in the Hopeful. But now he ships this weekend to
Dr. Bob Copelan in
Kentucky and will be treated for the shin
problem. He will then rehab in Aiken for a 3-year-old campaign in
Florida .”
Palace Malice was a
$200,000 purchase this year at the Keeneland Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale in
April.
Pletcher will still be
represented by three runners in the Hopeful, Shanghai Bobby and Lawn Man for Starlight Racing, as well
as Repole Stable’s Overanalyze.