Animal Kingdom: bounds clear of his field at Gulfstream on Saturday
PICTURE: EquiSport Photos/Joe GanleyAnimal Kingdom scores on turf at Gulfstream
Report: USA, Saturday
Gulfstream Park
KENTUCKY DERBY winner Animal Kingdom(Graham Motion/John Velazquez) scored by a convincing two lengths in a minor turf contest at Gulfstream Park on Saturday when he made his reappearance after an eight-month layoff.
Team Valor's four-year-old, who hadn't run since injuring his near-hind in the Belmont Stakes in June, is being prepared for a tilt at the Dubai World Cup at Meydan on March 31.
Animal Kingdom was sent off 3-5 favourite on Saturday before kicking away from his five rivals in the stretch to claim the $60,000 allowance race over 1m ½f on the grass.
"Obviously, I would have been disappointed if he hadn't won today, when you have a race that's set up for us," said trainer Graham Motion, who admitted he had been holding his breath.
"It's a question of exhaling," he added. "But this was the best thing for us. He still had to go out there and win it. He needed a race and still has six weeks to regroup to get him to Dubai in the right way."
Trailing until halfway, Animal Kingdom was slipped up outside the leaders down the back straight by Derby-winning rider John Velazquez before taking over at the head of the stretch and scoring by two lengths from Monument Hill.
Animal Kingdom will now attempt to emulate Silver Charm, the 1997 Kentucky Derby who won the Dubai World Cup as a four-year-old.
Then the world's richest race was run on dirt at Nad Al Sheba; now it is an all-wather contest at Meydan. The versatile Animal Kingdom is a rarity in that he has winning form on all three surfaces: dirt, turf and all-weather.
"This horse has come a long way since October," Motion added. "Nothing was more heartbreaking than to see this horse stuck in a stall a week after the Belmont. He went from being the fittest horse in the country to not being able to get out of his stall. That was tough. To see him today, back to himself, obviously I'm elated.
"I think when you have a Derby winner everybody owns a little piece of him. It may sound a little corny, but when you have a Derby winner, he's a little bit the people's horse and you have a responsibility.
"He's a very special horse and I really wanted him to come back and prove it. I think the reception he got was neat and I'm glad we got to run him here."
Velazquez too was relieved to get the first step out of the way. "It was a great feeling today and great to have him back," said the jockey. "He felt as good as ever. They went slow enough where he just pulled me into contention all on his own."
Also on Saturday
Gulfstream Park: Gulfstream Park Sprint Championship (Grade 2) 7f, dirt, 4yo+
Former Dubai-based Force Freeze (Peter Walder/Paco Lopez), beaten just a neck in the Breeders' Cup Sprint, kicked off his seven-year-old campaign by drawing clear for a dominant victory by nearly four lengths as the 4-5 favourite.
Santa Anita: Santa Maria Stakes (Grade 2) 1m½f, dirt, 4yo+ f/m
A game performance from Ellafitz (Bob Baffert/Martin Garcia), under pressure up front all the way, repelled several challenges before recording her second Grade 2 win.
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