Palace Malice faces a stiff test of his Breeders’ Cup Classic credentials when he tackles Will Take Charge and eight other rivals in the Grade 1 Whitney Handicap at Saratoga on Saturday.
Palace Malice is unbeaten in four runs this season and will break from Gate 5 under John Velazquez as the overwhelming favourite to pick up the lion's share of the enhanced $US1.5 million (Dh5.5 million) purse.
The Whitney Handicap is a win-and-you-are-in race for the Classic, which will be run at Santa Anita on November 1.
Palace Malice's season hit the top level when he came with a late run to steal the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap at Belmont in June under Velazquez.
It was his first success at Grade 1 level and Cot Campbell, president of Dogwood Stables, which owns the four-year-old colt, outlined this week that Palace Malice’s campaign will be geared towards the Breeders’ Cup.
What happens after that is open to conjecture, but there was a hint from Campbell that there could be a campaign next year.
“I think if the horse were absolutely sound and he had good enthusiasm and energy levels, I think we would certainly want to consider going again next year,” he said.
“It’s a fabulous lifetime experience and we would want to weigh whether we want to try to have that experience again or whether we’d want to cash in and get the dough.”
The Dubai World Cup, which has a purse of $10m, takes place on dirt for the first time since American raider Well Armed won the final race at Nad Al Sheba in 2009.
For now, Palace Malice, trained by Todd Pletcher, will battle with his old rival in the 1,800-metre event.
Will Take Charge has won once this year, at Grade 2 level, but finished ahead of Palace Malice when touched off by the subsequently retired Mucho Macho Man in the Classic in Santa Anita.
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