Weekend Preview: Preakness, Belmont Stakes Winners in Action

The Triple Crown is in our rearview mirror, the main combatants have had their rest, and Preakness Stakes winner Oxbow and Belmont Stakes winner Palace Malice will both be in action this weekend. 

Palace Malice is the 5-2 morning line favorite for Saturday’s $600,000 Jim Dandy (G2) at Saratoga, while Oxbow is the 2-1 second choice in Sunday’s $1 million Haskell Invitational (G1).

If the duo comes out of their respective races well, they will likely meet up with Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Orb on August 24 at Saratoga in the $1 million Travers (G1), the “Mid-Summer Derby.”

If all three make it to Saratoga next month, it will be the first time in three decades that all three winners of the Triple Crown races will compete in the Travers.

Belmont Winner Needs Dandy Effort

Palace Malice will face eight or nine foes in the Jim Dandy and is the 5-2 morning line favorite. The Rudy Rodriguez-trained Vyjack is cross entered in Sunday’s Haskell and may scratch.

Palace Malice took to Twitter to show his confidence:

There is no hotter trainer at Saratoga than Todd Pletcher, who has won seven races from 20 starters as he goes for his fourth consecutive trainer title. Hall of Fame rider Mike Smith has the return call on the colt.

His main foe will be Mylute (7-2), who was fifth in the Kentucky Derby and rallied for third in the Preakness in his last outing. The Tom Amoss trainee will be ridden by Rosie Napravnik.

The others who competed in at least one Triple Crown race are in the Jim Dandy are Freedom Child (4-1), who was a well-beaten 13th in the Belmont, and Vyjack (12-1), who was 18th in the Kentucky Derby and eighth in the Belmont Stakes.

One colt with an upset chance is the Dallas Stewart-trained Perfect Title, who is coming off a good-looking score against first level allowance company at Churchill Downs on June 7.

Selections for Jim Dandy: Perfect Title—Palace Malice—Mylute

Oxbow Preps for Travers on Jersey Shore

Oxbow will not have to deal with Snookie, Pauly D or The Situation when he visits the Jersey Shore for Sunday’s Haskell Invitational, but he is going to have to beat a talented runner in Verrazano.

Verrazano went into the Run for the Roses undefeated in four starts, winning the Tampa Bay Derby (G2) and Wood Memorial (G1) this spring and was sent off at 8-1 in the Derby only to finish a disappointing 14th. He came back with a sharp win in the Pegasus (G3) over the Monmouth Park main track and is the 9-5 morning line favorite for the Haskell.

Oxbow is the second choice at 2-1 and makes his first start since a good second behind Palace Malice in the Belmont Stakes. The Lukas trainee pulled off the upset in the Preakness, with jockey Gary Stevens stealing the race at 15-1.

In addition to Verrazano, Pletcher will also send out Micromanage, who is coming off a victory in the Long Branch Stakes over the Monmouth Park main track on July 7.

Selections for Haskell: Verrazano—Power Broker—Oxbow

Saturday’s Jim Dandy and the $600,000 Diana (G1) will be televised live on NBC Sports Network as part of the “Summer at Saratoga” series.

Sunday’s Haskell will be televised on TVG and anchors a 14-race card that features seven stakes races.

 Odds courtesy of Equibase.

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