Grade 1 Kentucky Derby winner and Grade 1 Preakness runner-up Animal Kingdom will run in the $1 million
Grade 1 Belmont at Belmont
Park on June 11, trainer Graham Motion said Friday.
“We just made the decision that he will be coming to the Belmont,” said
Motion, speaking from the training center at Fair Hill, Maryland, where Animal
Kingdom has been stabled since finishing a half-length behind Shackleford in the second leg of racing’s Triple Crown. “He bounced out of the
Preakness very well and we are looking forward to running in the Belmont Stakes.
“He will probably come to Belmont Park the week leading up to race, depending
on where we decide to have his final workout.”
Animal Kingdom, a 2 3/4-length winner of the Kentucky Derby under jockey John
Velazquez, will be bidding to become just the 12th horse in history to complete
the Derby-Belmont double, a feat last accomplished in 1995 by Thunder Gulch, who
was honored as that year’s champion three-year-old colt.
Swale (1984), Bold Forbes (1976), Riva Ridge (1972), Chateaugay (1963),
Needles (1956), Middleground (1950), Shut Out (1942), Johnstown (1939), Twenty
Grand (1931) and Zev (1923) were the only others to win the first and last races
in the Triple Crown.
The 1 1/2-mile Belmont, which will be run for the 143rd time as the oldest
and longest leg of the series, is likely to feature a rematch between Animal
Kingdom and Shackleford, which would mark the first Triple Crown rubber match
since 2005, when Derby winner Giacomo finished seventh behind Preakness hero
Afleet Alex.
Shackleford, currently training at Churchill Downs, is scheduled to arrive at
Belmont Park early next week, with a final decision on the Belmont Stakes
expected shortly thereafter.
Animal Kingdom just made the Derby field by capturing the Grade 3 Spiral at
Turfway Park in his stakes debut one race prior to the Run for the Roses. Making
his first start on conventional dirt track in the Kentucky Derby, the chestnut
has thus far earned $1,938,700 for Team Valor International and is 3-3-0 in six
lifetime starts.
Among others under consideration for the Belmont, which has a maximum field
of 16, are Grade 2 Peter Pan winner Alternation; Grade 1 Blue Grass hero Brilliant
Speed, seventh last out in the Kentucky Derby; Harlan’s Hello, winner of a May 13 optional claimer at
Belmont; Isn’t He Perfect, ninth in the Preakness; Group
1-placed and Group 1 U.A.E. Derby nose runner-up Master of Hounds,
fifth in the Derby; Grade 2 Risen victor Mucho Macho Man, third in
the Kentucky Derby and sixth in the Preakness; Count Fleet winner and Peter
Pan sixth Monzon; Kentucky Derby runner-up Nehro;
Prime Cut, third in the Peter Pan and second in the Grade 3 Lexington; Grade 3 Sunland Derby third and Federico Tesio second Ruler
on Ice; Grade 2 scorer Santiva, sixth in the Kentucky Derby;
and Grade 3 Gotham winner Stay Thirsty, 12th in the Derby.
Trainer Bob Baffert may send Awesome Patriot or Uncle Sam, the respective first two finishers in Hollywood Park’s May 8 Alydar,
to the race.