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Animal Kingdom sharp, Motion maps out plan for three-year-olds

Posted: Monday, February 13, 2012 8:17 PM

ANIMAL KINGDOM

PhotosByZ.com/Thoroughbred Times

by Mike Curry

Trainer Graham Motion is preparing to unveil his big guns from the 2011 Triple Crown trail—Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) winner Animal Kingdom and Resorts World New York Casino Wood Memorial Stakes (G1) winner Toby’s Corner—for their four-year-old debuts.

The Fair Hill, Maryland-based trainer also has his sights set on several targets for this year’s Derby trail with the next generation of classic hopefuls, but the rapidly approaching return of 2011 champion three-year-old male Animal Kingdom understandably has generated plenty of buzz around Motion’s barn.

Team Valor International’s Animal Kingdom won the Kentucky Derby in his first race on dirt and followed with a second-place finish in the Preakness Stakes (G1). He subsequently was sidelined for the rest of 2011 after suffering a hairline fracture of his left hind leg in the Belmont Stakes (G1).

Animal Kingdom remains on target to make his 2012 debut in the Tampa Bay Stakes (G3) at 1 1/16 miles on February 25 at Tampa Bay Downs, and Motion could not be happier with his progress in returning to a racing fitness level.

“Things have gone very smoothly,” said Motion, who along with Team Valor Chief Executive Officer Barry Irwin is aiming Animal Kingdom to the $10-million United Arab Emirates Dubai World Cup (UAE-G1) on March 31. “It worked out well getting him started at Fair Hill and getting him a few easy breezes. Once we got him to Florida and we started picking it up with him, he’s really responded and probably even come around perhaps a little quicker than I might have anticipated.

“I was thinking about it today, and he’s been in training since the beginning of October, albeit it was just going on the AquaTred. He’s got three months of pretty solid foundation under him and now he’s got two months of pretty steady works, so I feel pretty good about where he’s at.”

Also among the nominees to the Tampa Bay Stakes was Dianne Cotter’s homebred Toby’s Corner, who missed the 2011 Kentucky Derby with a left hind leg injury leading up to the classic. Motion said he has a different race in mind for the Bellamy Road colt.

“I think more than likely he could come back in the General George [Handicap (G2)] on Monday,” he said. “I talked to Mrs. Cotter about it. I love the idea of running him at Laurel [Park] on a track he has won twice on. I think seven-eighths is a good distance to come back at for him. I can run him down at Gulfstream in an allowance race and come up against some monsters and I’d just as soon run him in a nice race where he has a good chance to pick up a piece of the purse and maybe a graded win which goes towards helping him later on in his life.”

Motion’s cast of three-year-olds for 2012 is plenty deep, but none has yet stepped up to cement his status as the leader of the group. Perhaps that will change on Saturday when Lucky Chappy (Ire) runs in the 1 1/8-mile El Camino Real Derby (G3) on the Tapeta Footings surface at Golden Gate Fields. Not coincidentally, the race is on the same surface as the High Chaparral (Ire) colt’s main spring target, the United Arab Emirates Derby (UAE-G3) on March 31 at Meydan.

“He ships [Tuesday] night to go to Golden Gate. Dubai has always been on the agenda, depending on how he runs on Saturday, it’s a big prep for him,” Motion said. “To be able to run on the same surface and go a mile and an eighth, which I think the further you go the better for him and I don’t think he’s had a chance to run at the distance he really wants yet.”

Lucky Chappy finished second to stablemate Howe Great in his previous start in the Kittens Joy Stakes on January 21 at Gulfstream Park, a race Motion described as ‘deceptively good.’ No surprise, considering both he and Irwin are very high on Howe Great, a Hat Trick (Jpn) colt targeting the Palm Beach Stakes (G3) on March 11. The 1 1/16-mile turf race could serve as a steppingstone to one of the major Triple Crown prep races for Howe Great.

“As long as he continues to run the way he’s been running in the Palm Beach, I think the Blue Grass [Stakes (G1)] is going to be very logical for us. If he runs that kind of race, the timing is very good,” Motion said.

“I’ve had discussions with Barry about Howe Great, and he feels pretty strongly that he’s a grass horse. I reminded him the other day that he’s already done more than Animal Kingdom had done at this time last year.”

Motion also said Went the Day Well and unbeaten allowance winner Cop a Tude both will be nominated to the Gotham Stakes (G3) on March 3 at Aqeuduct. Grade 2 winner State of Play will be pointed to the John Battaglia Memorial Stakes on March 3 at Turfway Park.