Motion reveals Gulfstream goals for stable stars
Animal Kingdom, the 2011 champion three-year-old colt, is on schedule for a
start in the Grade 1 Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap on February 9. The 1 1/8-mile
stakes will likely mark the final race in the U.S. for the Graham Motion-trained
five-year-old.
“Everything is going well. Next week, he’ll have a breeze, and we’re on track
for the Turf Handicap. That’s the plan still,” Motion said. “We have a schedule,
and I hope we can keep it. If he runs well in Dubai, we might take him to
England and run him over there. Most likely he’ll have three races.”
Following his start at Gulfstream, the son of Leroidesanimaux is scheduled to
run in the Group 1, $10 million Dubai World Cup on March 31 before completing
his racing career with a possible start at Royal Ascot.
Team Valor International recently sold a majority interest in his breeding
rights to Arrowfield Stud in Australia. Animal Kingdom is scheduled to start his
stallion career in September for the Southern Hemisphere breeding season.
Animal Kingdom has run twice over the Gulfstream Park turf course, finishing
a troubled second in an allowance two starts before winning the 2011 Kentucky
Derby and capturing an allowance by two lengths last winter. A stress fracture
in his left hind leg was subsequently discovered, putting him on the shelf for
eight months. Animal Kingdom returned to action without a prep in the Grade 1
Breeders’ Cup Mile, in which he was hampered by traffic before making a strong
surge to finish second behind Horse of the Year candidate Wise Dan last
November.
Motion said he’s not feeling any anxiety about Animal Kingdom’s upcoming 2013
debut.
“I think I opened myself up to that before the Breeders’ Cup,” Motion said
with a chuckle. “I don’t think I could be any more anxious than I was about what
we did there. That was out of the box to do what we did. We almost pulled it
off.”
While Animal Kingdom’s career may be heating up as it’s winding down, Motion
can look forward to a 2013 season full of excitement with Tuttipaesi, who
captured her U.S. debut in the $75,000 Ginger Brew on New Year’s Day. The
Irish-bred three-year-old filly closed from far back to win going away by two
lengths in the 1 1/16-mile turf stakes.
“You’re always surprised when a horse wins like that, but I did expect her to
run well,” Motion said. “When she came over she was a nervous filly, but she
seems to have really settled down to the routine here. Maybe the American-style
of training suits her.”
Motion said Tuttipaesi would likely start next in the Grade 3
Herecomesthebride on March 2.
The Motion-trained Lucky Chappy, who finished third in the Grade 1 Hollywood
Derby on November 25, is being pointed toward the Grade 2 Mac Diarmida on
February 16.
“He’s grown up and is doing well physically and mentally,” Motion said. “He’s
just unlucky he hasn’t won a race over here.”
Lucky Chappy has been stakes-placed six times, including a runner-up finish
in the Kitten’s Joy at Gulfstream last year, since being imported from Italy,
where he won two of three starts.
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