Palace Malice's Pedigree Shows Belmont Stakes Victory Is No Surprise

If you were quick to write off Palace Malice's chances in the 2013 Belmont Stakes, take a seat with the rest of the horse racing world. The colt with 15-1 odds took the 145th running in stunning fashion, but upon a closer look at the horse's pedigree, the win was no fluke.

All too often, pedigrees get overlooked by bettors in exchange for trainers, jockeys and recent successes. But there's no doubting the value of a strong racing background, which Palace Malice showed Saturday. 

It's no surprise that Palace Malice comes from sire Curlin, one of the most famous colts of the new age of horse racing.

Curlin's rise to prominence came in 2007, when he finished third in the Kentucky Derby and then took the Preakness Stakes over Churchill Downs champion Street Sense. The win spoiled yet another over-hyped Triple Crown shot, but it also proved Curlin's ability to race with the best. 

He came up just short against Rags to Riches in the Belmont Stakes. Otherwise, we'd be talking about Palace Malice channeling some of his sire's Belmont glory and Curlin being two places in the Kentucky Derby away from a Triple Crown. 

Palace Malice comes from Curlin's first crop, which only solidifies this pedigree as a top-notch one in the sport. 

It's no secret that Palace Malice gets a unique stamina advantage from his sire, who won a total of five races at the 1 1/4-mile distance. Stamina is usually the first thing experts look at when examining a horse's pedigree, due to the rigorous and extensive distance of each of the Triple Crown legs.

The Belmont Stakes champion's dam, Palace Rumor, doesn't boast the same resume, but isn't half bad, either. She never placed at any of the Triple Crown legs, but had success in winning the Audubon Oaks at the famous Ellis Park in 2006. 

At the end of the day, the biggest strength from Palace Malice's pedigree unsurprisingly comes from the sire.

The horse's background boasts enough royalty to show that the Belmont Stakes victory was no fluke and that Palace Malice is worthy of being in Orb and Oxbow's company. 

All pedigree information courtesy of Daily Racing Form.

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