Palace to Miss Remainder of Saratoga Meet
Image:
Description:
Antonino Miuccio's multiple grade I winner Palace is unlikely to run back at Saratoga Race Course this summer, trainer Linda Rice said the morning of Aug. 1.
Making his first start against New York-breds in 18 months in the $100,000 John Morrissey Stakes July 30, the 6-year-old son of City ZIp suffered a deep gash in his left front foot after breaking awkwardly from the gate.
"He grabbed a quarter pretty bad and it's going to take a while to get him healed up," Rice said. "He fell out of the gate and took a big chunk out of his left front. It was pretty bad. A big pool of blood was around him and it was pretty bad the next day. He'll be OK; it's just going to take some time. I don't think that we'll be running him back at Saratoga."
Rice was hoping to use the Morrissey as a prep for the $700,000 Forego (gr. I) on Aug. 29, a race Palace won last summer. The Morrissey was just his second start of 2015, after finishing fifth in the April 4 Carter Handicap (gr. I) at Aqueduct Racetrack.
Saratoga's leading trainer in 2013, Rice said Palace received a tetanus shot and is being treated with antibiotics. He remains at the trainer's barn in Saratoga.
"There's actually a large piece of tissue that's going to have to be cut off. It's kind of an ugly mess, but he'll be OK. He'll recover," she said. "He's a good patient. He's terrific to be around. My gut feeling is we won't make another race at Saratoga and we'll hopefully have him healed up for Belmont."
Palace chased the field into the stretch, moving up to second at the head of the lane before being passed late by John's Island. He was beaten two lengths by winner Moonlight Song, who is now six-for-seven on an off track.
"Palace hasn't run his best races in the mud. I was really disappointed when it started pouring, especially with a horse in there that was five-for-six in the mud," Rice said. "He tries on any surface, but the mud really hasn't been his favorite. I think he lost two lengths at the break and got beat two lengths. What can you do? That's racing."