D W Fitz is Palace's First Winner
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Photo: Hoofprints, Inc.
D W Fitz breaks his maiden July 24 at Delaware Park
When buyers and consignors were asked about the first juveniles by Palace , Spendthrift Farm's freshman sire and a multiple grade 1-winning sprinter, "They should be early" was the consensus.
D W Fitz validated those expectations July 24 when he became Palace's first winner in his debut at Delaware Park in a 5 1/2-furlong waiver maiden claiming race as the even-money favorite.
Owned and raced by trainer Jamie Ness under the name Jagger, D W Fitz broke sharply out of the gate but conceded the lead to Fed Xman, who set the opening quarter in :22.12. D W Fitz and jockey Trevor McCarthy stuck close to the leader and rallied at the top of the stretch to recapture command of the race. They rolled through five furlongs in 1:00.58 and eased away from Fed Xman to win by three-quarters of a length in 1:07.36.
D W Fitz was bred in Kentucky by DW2 Equine, which sold the colt as a short yearling at the 2018 Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale to Jens Stable for $7,000. The colt was offered again as a yearling through The October Sale, Fasig-Tipton's sale in Lexington, Ky., where pinhooker Rod McVey bought him for $40,000 out of the Double R Consignment. Ness then found D W Fitz at McVey's consignment to the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale and took him home for $21,000.
Out of the Seattle Fitz stakes winner Flirty Fitz, D W Fitz is the mare's third winner from as many to race. The mare also is the dam of stakes-placed winner Flat Out Flirty (by Flat Out ) and winner Gunner's Mate (Warrior's Reward ). Flirty Fitz has a yearling colt by Wicked Strong named Wicked Fitz and was bred back this year to Palace.
Palace is a four-time graded stakes-winning son of City Zip out of the winning End Sweep mare Receivership. Raced for the majority of his career by Antonino Miuccio, Palace won or placed in 15 black-type stakes while racing from 3 to 6. His 12 victories include seven stakes, four graded. Palace's top wins came consecutively in the Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap (G1) and Forego Stakes (G1). He retired with a 12-7-5 record out of 30 starts and earned $1,586,550.
Palace's first 2-year-olds were well received this year, with 30 sold for an average of $52,833. His top seller was a $570,000 filly named Auberge, a half sister to black-type winner Theperfectvow (Majesticperfection) whom Speedway Stable bought out of Eddie Woods' consignment. The sire was represented by three juveniles that sold for six-figure prices.
Palace stands at Spendthrift Farm in Kentucky for $6,000.