Letsstaypositive First Winner for Palace Malice
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Photo: Keeneland/Coady Photography
Letsstaypositive gets a four-length score on debut at Keeneland
Freshman sire Palace Malice was represented by his first winner from his first runner, as Jeff Morris and Constance Wickes' Letsstaypositive defeated a field of six other 2-year-olds April 25 at Keeneland.
As Wesley Ward often does, the trainer opted to run the filly against males in her debut, and she produced a four-length score as the 4-5 favorite while going 4 1/2 furlongs over a fast track. Leading from the start under jockey Tyler Gaffalione, Letsstaypositive posted fractions of :22.58 and :45.89 through four furlongs before finishing the distance in :52.37.
Bred in Kentucky by Highclere and Springtown Show Stables, Letsstaypositive is the first foal out of the stakes-placed Mineshaft mare Jazzminegem.
Trained by Todd Pletcher for Cot Campbell's Dogwood Stable through a career of seven wins from 19 starts and earnings of $2,691,135, Palace Malice earned his first stakes win in the 2013 Belmont Stakes (G1). He followed that score with a win in the Jim Dandy Stakes (G2).
In his 4-year-old year, Palace Malice put together a four-race win streak that culminated with a one-length victory over Goldencents in the Metropolitan Handicap (G1) at Belmont Park. After two losses in minor stakes as a 5-year-old, when Three Chimneys Farm joined the ownership, the decision was made to retire the son of Curlin who was bred in Kentucky by W.S. Farish.
Palace Malice has stood at Three Chimneys since his retirement from racing. His 2019 fee is $15,000.