Falcone Eyeing Met Mile For Castle Chaos After Losing 'A Couple Of Tough Ones'

Castle Chaos has endured narrow defeats in graded stakes in two of his last three outings, including a neck loss to Post Time in the seven-furlong Grade 2 Carter presented by NYRA Bets on April 6, at Aqueduct Racetrack in South Ozone Park, N.Y.

Trained and co-owned by Robert Falcone, Jr. with Sanford J. Goldfarb and Nice Guys Stables, the 6-year-old Palace Malice gelding was nosed out of victory by Tumbarumba in the Grade 3 Fred W. Hooper in January at Gulfstream Park.

“He's doing great. I feel more bad for him [than myself],” Falcone, Jr. said, with a laugh. “He's a really nice horse and lost a couple of tough ones, but he came out of it great.”

The Kentucky-bred Castle Chaos, who finished third in the Grade 2 Cigar Mile Handicap presented by NYRA Bets in December here, was haltered for $75,000 from a close runner-up effort on debut in September 2021 at Saratoga and now boasts a career ledger of 16-3-5-4 for purse earnings of $370,160.

Falcone, Jr. said that while the one-mile Grade 3, $175,000 Westchester on May 3 at the Big A is a possibility, he is looking to map out a path to the Grade 1, $1 million Hill ‘N’ Dale Metropolitan Handicap on Belmont Stakes Day June 8 at Saratoga Race Course. The one-mile test for 3-year-olds and up to be contested from the Wilson Chute provides a “Win and You’re In” berth to the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile in November at Del Mar.

“I'm not sure [about the Westchester] - the timing hurts us a little bit to run him back there and then try him back in the Met Mile,” Falcone, Jr. said. “I'm not sure if we'll try the Westchester or if we'll wait for the Met Mile or wait for a ‘3X’ and then go to the Met.”