Animal Kingdom set to overwhelm Dubai

Newmarket, UK: Winner of the Kentucky Derby (G1) last year, Animal Kingdom is one of the leading contenders for the $10 million Dubai World Cup (G1).

He will be representing North America in the big race at Meydan, but this colt has followers from various corners of the world. And for various reasons. He is a prime example of how a thoroughbred athlete brings the world together and of how global this sport has become.

Bred in Kentucky, he is a son of the Brazilian born turf star Leroidesanimaux, and his dam, Dalicia, was a German bred daughter of their champion Acatenango. Throw in the facts that Animal Kingdom is trained by a Brit based in the USA, Cambridge born Graham Motion, and that the colt is owned by Team Valour International and you have, well exactly that, an international product indeed.

Animal Kingdom got good at the right time, as they would put it in America, as he improved fast leading up to the 2011 Kentucky Derby. Having raced just three times previously, and never tried stakes company, he was sent to the Spiral Stakes (G3) at Turfway Park in March, six weeks before Kentucky Derby day, in order to qualify for the first leg of the US Triple Crown.

His connections knew exactly what was required. Only a win would propel Animal Kingdom from obscurity into the Derby picture. Restricted to 20 runners, the most famous horse race in the USA always gets too many entries. A ranking based on earnings in graded stakes decides who gets in and who is locked out. Animal Kingdom had to win the Spiral Stakes, run over nine furlongs over a Polytrack surface at Turfway Park, to get into the Derby field. Win it he did, in visually impressive style. He came with a very strong finish which took him from last to first place. Having made up so much ground, and done it with such ease for a near three-length win over Decisive Moment, Animal Kingdom got plenty of admirers that day. He was also rewarded with $285,000 (Dh1.4 million) in earnings. Enough to get him a ticket to run in the 137th Kentucky Derby.

A winner of the Spiral Stakes had not gone on to land the Kentucky Derby since Lil E. Tee shocked the racing world back in 1992. No wonder, the Spiral now suddenly became a race more horsemen and women would take seriously. When nominations to this year's edition was made, Turfway Park received 166 names, which is a 26 per cent rise compared with last year. Five of the 166 horses nominated are trained by Graham Motion, by the way.

Tough starting point

Having produced Globeform 109P at Turfway Park, Animal Kingdom was taking a step up in class in the Kentucky Derby, where he would face horses coming out of much better prep races. He was also handed a tough starting point at Churchill Downs, as he drew post 16.

A wide draw is rarely seen as anything but a handicap. Still, Animal Kingdom was no bigger than 10-1 on the toteboard, and one of those the public liked. They liked him even more after the ten furlong race, which Animal Kingdom completed in two minutes, two seconds flat. Like he did in the Spiral, he once more made his move from the back, and took dead aim at the leaders down the stretch.

Animal Kingdom and jockey John Velazquez had plenty of momentum as they entered the final furlong, and the colt surged ahead to win by two and three-quarter lengths from Nehro, with Mucho Macho Man third, Shackleford fourth and the Irish raider Master Of Hounds back in fifth.

It was only his fifth career start and, more remarkably his first on a dirt track, and suddenly Animal Kingdom was the best three-year-old in North America. He earned Globeform 125 points in the Derby but unfortunately we never saw him perform to that level again.

Shackleford gained revenge as they squared up again in the Preakness Stakes (G1) at Pimlico two weeks later. The slightly shorter distance meant that Shackleford was able to carry his speed all the way to the winning post, while Animal Kingdom's late kick came up half a length short.

Next came the 12-furlong Belmont Stakes (G1) in New York, but with it also came the rain, making the Belmont track terribly wet and sloppy. Animal Kingdom hated it, yet managed sixth behind the upset winner Ruler On Ice. This defeat was not the end of the world, though later on it transpired that the Belmont would mark the end of his season.

It was discovered he had a fracture in his left hind leg that required surgery and sidelined him the rest of the year. He returned to action at Gulfstream Park in Florida in February, gaining an impressive win over an extended mile on the turf course. It was just an allowance race, not a stakes contest, and a stroll was nothing less than what was expected. Monument Hill, a solid runner who had just once been out of the first three and was also coming off two wins, finished second.

They way he won that race, however, was very taking and indicated that Animal Kingdom is fully recovered and ready to rock and roll at the highest level. Well, if he's as good as he was on the first Saturday in May 2011, he will be hard to beat in the World Cup.

The author is based in Newmarket, England and is the editor of Globeform