Preakness Stakes Contenders: Animal Kingdom Could Be The Horse To Beat

Added on May 20, 2011 by Jack Thurman in

Horse Racing

It’s been an eventful few weeks for the Graham Motion trained three year old Animal Kingdom. He entered the Kentucky Derby as a 20-1 betting choice due in large part to questions about his lack of prior experience and particularly on dirt. After an impressive victory he’s now one of the Preakness betting favorites currently sharing that distinction with Dialed In at 3-1.

The fact that Animal Kingdom was priced so high at the Derby and went on to win is far from unprecedented. In 2009, Mine That Bird won by 6 lengths at 50-1. Giacomo won the 2005 Derby at 50-1 and Charismatic won the 1999 ‘Run For The Roses’ as a 31-1 choice. All went on to be priced at much shorter odds in the Preakness–Mine That Bird and Giacomo at 6-1 and Charismatic at 8-1. None were considered ‘the horse to beat’ coming off their Derby victory the way that Animal Kingdom is.

There are still skeptics out there, but they are shrinking in number. Objectively, its hard to find fault with Animal Kingdom’s dirt track debut at Churchill Downs in the Kentucky Derby–he adapted to a slow pace and pulled away late for a convincing 2 3/4 length victory. Trainer Motion suggests that Animal Kingdom emerged from the Derby none the worse for wear:

“He’s really in great form. Honest to God, he hasn’t missed a meal throughout all this.”

The addition of speed horses Dance City and Flashpoint to the Preakness field should make for a faster pace, but Motion thinks that’s to Animal Kingdom’s benefit:

“I can only imagine the pace is probably an advantage to him. I don’t know why it would hurt him. It’ll be maybe a truer run race possibly. I think there’ll be an honest pace on Saturday.”

Motion does have reservations about bringing Animal Kingdom back on two days rests and concedes that the strong effort in the Kentucky Derby could have taken a lot out of him:

“I normally don’t do this, but he’s a horse who handles it, which makes my life easier. It’s a matter of how much the Derby took out of him. He ran the biggest race of his life in the Kentucky Derby. I do think he’s an extraordinary animal. He seemed to win the Derby relatively easily.”

Ultimately, Motion suggests that the best is yet to come for Animal Kingdom:

“I’m not sure we’ve seen the best of him. Whether or not we’ll see the best of him or more of him this Saturday I don’t know. I’m thrilled with how he’s doing. Visually he didn’t have a hard race in the Derby.”

Animal Kingdom will start from post position 11 with jockey John Velazquez aboard.