Rice looking at Forego, Vosburgh for Vanderbilt winner Palace

Rice looking at Forego, Vosburgh for Vanderbilt winner

Palace

"When Bakken scratched (from the Vanderbilt), it looked

like there was one lone speed, which was concerning," she said. "(Palace) broke

a step slow, too, which didn't help. But (jockey) Cornelio (Velasquez) was

aggressive with him early.

"It's great when you can sit back and let him do his

thing. He's pretty versatile, pretty much like his father who could win on the

lead, or, like when we won the (2000) Hopeful here in a dead-heat with Yonaguska, he came from 15 lengths back. He was versatile, and Palace is, too.

"It's kind of extra special, winning a Grade 1 here with his father and winning a

Grade 1 with Palace."

Rice stated that by winning the Vanderbilt, Palace established himself as a

stallion prospect.

"I feel like, with him being a sprinter, having won a Grade

1 with him on the dirt, it makes his career as a stallion. Now, if

we could go forward with the Vosburgh, Breeders' Cup Sprint, or maybe the

Forego, that could bring him to a higher level. At this point, in my mind -- and

I've already had inquiries as of 5 p.m. (EDT) yesterday -- that cemented his value as a

stallion, and I'm tickled about that."

Palace drew post position 1 for the Vanderbilt but was able

to work out a good trip under Velasquez. The same can't be said for his

stablemate La Verdad, who was fifth as the favorite after leaving from post 1 in

the Honorable Miss Handicap last Monday.

"She bled a little bit in that race," Rice explained.

"Everything went wrong -- the post, the mud, taking her off the pace. When I

watched the head-on (replay), I could see that (jockey) Jose (Ortiz) was trying

to get off the rail because there was stream of water on the inside, like trying

to avoid mud puddles. Nothing went well, but we had a lot of good days with her,

and I guess we were due to have a bad one.

"Hopefully, she will rebound in the

(Grade 1, $500,000) Ballerina (going seven furlongs on August 23 at Saratoga), and, of course, we

have (the Grade 2, $300,000 Gallant Bloom Handicap on September 20 going 6 1/2

furlongs) at

Belmont as well."

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