Palace Malice works 'unbelievably well'

Overanalyze, coming off an 11th in the Kentucky Derby, completed his

five-eighths drill in 1:00.77. He worked in tandem with multiple Grade 2 veteran

Caixa Eletronica, who posted the exact same time.

Midnight Taboo and Unlimited Budget covered the same ground in company, with

each clocking an identical 1:00.68. Midnight Taboo was runner-up in his

entry-level allowance tilt at Belmont on May 8, while Unlimited Budget lost her

perfect record when third in the Kentucky Oaks.

"Right now I'd say Overanalyze is 100 percent if everything stays right,

Unlimited Budget is 75 percent and Midnight Taboo 60 percent (for the Belmont),"

Repole said.

"It's a tough decision. Midnight Taboo has done nothing to say not to run.

With Unlimited Budget, do you run against Dreaming of Julia (in the Mother Goose

on June 22) or do you run against the boys? We'll do what's right for the

horse."

WinStar Farm's Louisiana Derby winner Revolutionary, a fine third in the

Kentucky Derby, went out for Pletcher at 6 a.m. (EDT) and breezed a half-mile in

:48 2/5 under jockey Javier Castellano.

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here to watch videos of Monday's works, and

here for interviews with Repole and Pletcher.

"I thought everyone worked very well," Pletcher said. "I think Palace Malice

worked unbelievably well. To me, it was a monstrous gallop out.

"I thought it was a typical work from Overanalyze," he added. "He's not an

overzealous work horse. You kind of have to encourage him a little bit. I think

when Johnny (Velazquez) encouraged him, he responded well.

"(For Unlimited Budget), it was similar to what we saw at Churchill. She's a

little better when she works on the outside. I thought her work last week was

particularly strong. This week wasn't quite as strong, but I think switching her

to the outside next time you'll see her a little stronger.

"Midnight Taboo continues to train really well," he went on. "If he gives us

another breeze like he did today and last week, I think he has (worked himself

into the race). He's a horse you can see getting better and better every work

and every race.

"(With Revolutionary) right after the Derby, we talked to Elliott (Walden of

WinStar Farm) and we decided to skip the Preakness and go to the Belmont,"

Pletcher continued.

"My gut reaction was this horse doesn't need a lot of training, we'll give

him two half-miles and run. Last week, he was doing so well, I contemplated

giving him three breezes, but I decided to stick to my original plan. I'm really

happy with the way he went this morning. I think he's maintained his fitness

really, really well."

Pletcher said the jockey situation for the Belmont horses remains somewhat in

flux.

"We're still in the process of firming it up," he said. "We've got Mike Smith

to ride Palace Malice, Johnny is holding the race for (one of ours), we have

Javier on Revolutionary, Garrett Gomez is riding one, and we'll see what Rosie

Napravnik's situation is."

Napravnik is currently named to ride the Bob Baffert-trained Code West,

winner of an allowance race at Pimlico on Preakness Day, in the Belmont.

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