Moreno, Palace Malice well following Whitney, could rematch in Woodward

Whitney hero Moreno was sprightly

Sunday morning, bouncing around in his stall a day after taking the field gate-to-wire in one of the most prestigious races of the

Saratoga meet.

Moreno's landmark victory was a long time in the making. It

took the Eric Guillot-trained gelding 10 starts to break his maiden, which he

did over a muddy track on June 8, 2013, at Belmont Park. He followed up that performance with a

seven-length win in the Dwyer at Big Sandy, but failed to find the winner's

circle in eight starts thereafter while placing in the Jim Dandy, Travers,

Pennsylvania Derby, Charles Town Classic and Suburban Handicap.

Despite the string of winless efforts, Guillot, who trains

Moreno for breeder Southern Equine Stable, was not surprised by his star pupil's

breakthrough victory in the 1 1/8-mile race.

"We finally got the fractions we needed," Guillot explained. "I

don't think this was a new peak for him. He was already at his peak."

While Moreno might face Wise Dan in the Woodward, it is almost certain he'll

have to take on Palace Malice again in that contest.

Though still mystified following Palace Malice's

disappointing effort as the 3-5 favorite in the Whitney, trainer

Todd Pletcher said Sunday morning the Woodward would remain

a target for the multiple Grade 1 winner.

Unbeaten in four 2014 starts to become a clear leader of

the older horse division, the four-year-old son of Curlin finished sixth in the

nine-horse Whitney, beaten 11 lengths by Moreno.

"It is a head-scratcher," Pletcher admitted. "Everything we've

seen so far indicates that he came out of it well. He cooled out sound, he

scoped clean, he ate up last night, his temperature is normal and he's sound

this morning. We'll pull some bloodwork on him later in the week and see if that

reveals anything. If that doesn't, I don't know what to do other than regroup

and start training again."

Three of Palace Malice's four races this year had come at

one mile, and he also won the New Orleans Handicap at 1 1/8 miles on

March 29. He loomed a threat rounding the far turn under jockey John Velazquez

but never got into contention as front-running Moreno pulled clear of the field

in the stretch.

"We thought we would come away in a stalking-type position

and we got to that point, but at the same time, as I was

watching the race unfold, I never felt like he was taking Johnny anywhere,"

Pletcher explained. "At the

top of the stretch when they snuck away, it was pretty obvious at that point (he

wasn't going to win). I still felt like in the middle of the turn he started to

make a little bit of an impact."

The Whitney marked the biggest margin of defeat for Palace

Malice since he was 12th, beaten 13 1/2 lengths, in the 2013 Kentucky Derby. He

came back a month later to capture the Belmont Stakes at 1 1/2 miles.