2013 Belmont Stakes Winner
May 2 - Palace Malice
This was a painting that was made specifically to go into the book A Brush With Greatness. I really wanted to get a horse in the book from Cot Campbell's Dogwood Stables.
Ed Bowen and I decided the best horse for the book's purpose would be Palace Malice, a son of Curlin (I think from his first crop. Charlie Pigg would know.)
Cot passed away shortly after the book came out. Anyone who knew Cot was fortunate to have him as a friend and had the rail position for many great and humorous stories.
We have 79 horses in the book and quotes from the connections of each horse. True to form, when I put out the call to the connections for their quotes, Cot was the first to reply. Within a couple hours, we had a nice personal quote about Palace Malice regarding his relationship to Aiken, South Carolina.
Do yourself a favor and read Cot's books. I think there are three or four of them. You'll laugh and learn all at the same time.
Cot Campbell raced a horse named for my partner on the book, the former Blood Horse Editor, Ed Bowen. But really, that's not the reason Palace Malice is in the book!!!!
Palace Malice won both the Belmont Stakes and the Met Mile, which shows great versatility since the Belmont is a mile and half; and yes, the Met Mile is ONE MILE.
I could tell Cot Campbell stories all day but so could anyone that knew him and no two stories would be the same.
Palace Malice is best remembered as the colt who came back to win the 2013 Belmont Stakes after running himself ragged in the Kentucky Derby. He was foaled in 2010, a son of the great champion Curlin out of the mare Palace Rumor. He raced for Dogwood Stable, the famous partnership group founded by Cot Campbell, and was trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher. From early on he showed plenty of class, but he also showed a wild streak that took some patience to harness.
In the 2013 Kentucky Derby, Palace Malice ran in blinkers for the first time and the equipment seemed to light him up. He blazed through the early fractions at a record breaking pace, burned himself out, and faded badly to finish 12th behind Orb. Todd Pletcher made one big change before the Belmont Stakes, taking the blinkers off so the colt could relax. The result was a totally different horse. With Mike Smith in the saddle, Palace Malice sat off the early speed, came running through the long Belmont stretch, and held off Oxbow and Orb to win going away.
Palace Malice kept rolling as a four year old in 2014. He captured the Metropolitan Handicap at Belmont Park, beating top older horses, and added wins in the Westchester Stakes and the Gulfstream Park Handicap. He finished his career with seven wins and earnings of more than $2.7 million. His combination of class, durability, and a champion sire pedigree made him a popular prospect when his racing days ended.
After retirement, Palace Malice went to stud at Three Chimneys Farm in Kentucky, where he began a second career as a stallion. He sired several stakes winners, including the millionaire Lone Rock, who became one of the top marathon runners in North America. Palace Malice is remembered both for his thrilling Belmont win and for the way Todd Pletcher unlocked his true ability with one simple equipment change.
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