Palace Malice: Whats in a name? by Ben Baugh Aiken Standard Online Posted: Sunday, December 15, 2013 12:01 a.m. Palace Malice became Thoroughbred racing royalty in 2013 by capturing the third jewel of the sports Triple Crown, the 145th running of the Belmont Stakes. But how did the Dogwood Stable-campaigned colt get his name? The multiple graded-stakes-winning millionaire received his name like the preponderance of the other horses in the stable: It was suggested by someone in the Dogwood Stable office, said W. Cot Campbell, Dogwood Stable president. “We have a contest, and everybody enters the contest who wants to and will submit names,” said Campbell. “We give everybody a week to come up with names. We look at them and process them. One of the girls in the office (Jen Eisenmann, accounting assistant to Dogwood Stable/Eclipse Thoroughbreds treasurer Bill Victor) came up with the name.” There were eight to 10 name submissions, and Campbell looked them over, selecting three to send to The Jockey Club. “Some of the names are invariably taken, so we end up with our third choice, but in this case, it was our first choice,” said Campbell. When a Dogwood Stable horse is named, the Aiken-based operation always likes to have the horses designation linked in some way to their lineage, said Campbell. “Hes by Curlin (Palace Malices sire), but the name Curlin doesnt lend itself to a whole lot,” said Campbell. “Hes out of Palace Rumor (Palace Malices dam), so we thought that connotes mischievous goings-on.” And although Palace Malice seems to carry the first part of his name with a regal bearing, he doesnt have any malice about him, said Campbell. “Hes never been intimidated by any place hes been,” said Campbell. “Hes shipped to a lot of different towns, a lot of different racetracks, and he acclimates to the barn and settles.” Theres no truth to the rumor that the classic winner was named after the establishment in New Yorks East Village, which is called No Malice Palace, said Campbell. “A lot of people thought it had something to do with that,” said Campbell. But Campbell said the name of the now-famous horse is as much a winner as the horse himself. “A lot of people like it. Its fun to say. It rhymes. Palace Malice.”
Posted on: Mon, 16 Dec 2013 01:16:56 +0000