Animal Kingdom (horse)
Encyclopedia
Animal Kingdom by the Brazilian-bred
Leroidesanimaux
out of the German
mare
Dalicia is a Thoroughbred
race horse, notable for winning the 137th
Kentucky Derby
. The race was run on May 7, 2011 before a record crowd of 164,858. Animal Kingdom is the latest in a long line of Kentucky Derby winners (dating back to 1979's Spectacular Bid
) to fail to win the United States Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing
, the most elusive championship in all of sports. Animal Kingdom has competed on multiple tracks and on turf, dirt, and synthetic surfaces, placing in the money in six of seven efforts.
racing stable and born at Denali Stud in Paris, Kentucky, his sire Leroidesanimaux (Le roi des animaux, French, translates as "King of the animals.") was bred in Brazil and of European bloodlines that traditionally ran on turf. His dam Dalicia, was German-bred and had never raced on dirt in the course of her career.
The colt was entered into the September 2009 Keeneland Sales
as a yearling. The Team Valor partnership that bred Animal Kingdom sold him for $100,000 to a new Team Valor partnership who planned to race him. The chief executive of the partnership is Barry Irwin
. The original breeding partnership was dissolved.
trainer Wayne Catalano. In his debut race on September 18, 2010, he ran an off-the-turf 8.5 furlongs race, coming from the back of the pack to finish a strong second to the favorite, Willcox Inn. Animal Kingdom broke his maiden in his second race, a mile and an eighth Maiden Special Weight race at Keeneland Race Course, this time over Polytrack.
In his first race at age 3 (March 3, 2011), he again ran second in an optional claiming race going a mile on the turf at Gulfstream Park
. He broke badly, then raced midpack before sweeping three-wide off the turn to finish a head behind the wire-to-wire winner Powhatan County.
Around this time Irwin decided to put all Team Valor horses with only one trainer and chose Graham Motion, a British
expatriate. Motion, 46 in 2011, moved to the U.S. with his family at the age of 16 and has been involved in Maryland
racing for 26 years. Among the top 10 trainers in Maryland from 1995–2001, he was based at Laurel Park
before moving his stable to the Fair Hill Training Center
in 2002. Irwin selected Motion for his European-style training methods, honesty and resistance to use of unneeded medications in racing horses. Motion was one of only two top 20 money-earning trainers without a single medication violation in 2010.
On March 26, 2011, Motion entered Animal Kingdom into a Graded stakes race
for the first time. Competing at Turfway Park
in the Grade III Vinery Racing Spiral Stakes, again over Polytrack, he went to the post as the 3/1 second choice in the betting. Breaking slowly, he raced near the back of the pack, then made a big move to catch eventual Derby contenders Decisive Moment and Twinspired. He won by 2 and 3/4 lengths.
contenders: Animal Kingdom and Toby's Corner. Toby's Corner had just won the Grade I
Wood Memorial but had to drop out of the running during the week of the race due to a sore leg. Motion was left with Animal Kingdom to start. On the morning of the Kentucky Derby
, his morning-line odds were 30-1. By post time, he ran the race at odds of 21-1. Supposedly a turf horse, this was his first race on dirt. Animal Kingdom drew post 16 and was ridden to a 2 -3/4 length victory in the Derby by jockey
John R. Velazquez, originally scheduled to ride another horse, the early favorite and American Champion Two-Year-Old Colt Uncle Mo
. Uncle Mo was scratched due to a gastrointestinal illness on the Friday before the race, and Velazquez (who was discovered by his agent Angel Cordero) replaced injured rider
Robby Albarado
on Animal Kingdom. This was the first time Velazquez had ridden Animal Kingdom, and the jockey's first Kentucky Derby win in 13 tries.
No horse had won the Derby with only four previous races since Exterminator
in 1918. Although Big Brown
's 2008 Derby was only his fourth start. No horse since Needles
in 1956 had won the Derby off a six-week layoff. No horse in the Derby but Secretariat
closed his final half-mile faster, a spectacular :47 1/5.
It was also Motion's first Derby win, and, unfamiliar with the track, he could not find his way to the winner's circle at Churchill Downs
until assisted by the trainer of fourth-place Shackleford
, Dale Romans.
Animal Kingdom was entered to run in the 2011 Preakness Stakes
which took place on May 21, 2011. He drew the 11th post position. Closing fast from well back of the pack, coming down the middle of the track, he caught every horse but the winner, Shackleford
. Animal Kingdom's runner-up finish in the Preakness Stakes
locked up the year's Highest combined Triple Crown finish among all starters as recorded by Triple Crown Productions
.
At the Belmont Stakes
, on June 11, 2011, he finished out of the money attributed to a bad start on a sloppy track. He broke clean but encountered trouble almost immediately when cut off by Mucho Macho Man, who had been pushed over by Isn't He Perfect. In the process, Animal Kingdom clipped heels with yet another horse, possibly either Monzon or Mucho Macho Man, causing a stumble that nearly unseated jockey John Velazquez, throwing Velazquez forward onto the horse's neck, losing a stirrup. By the time the jockey regained his stirrup and seat, they were last. However, Animal Kingdom rallied in the homestretch, moving up from last to sixth. Isn't He Perfect finished last and his jockey, Rajiv Maragh
, was later suspended seven days for careless riding.
.
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
Leroidesanimaux
Leroidesanimaux
Leroidesanimaux is a Thoroughbred racehorse who competed in Brazil and was a Eclipse Award winner in the United States.-Background:His name is four French language words combined...
out of the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
mare
Mare
Female horses are called mares.Mare is the Latin word for "sea".The word may also refer to:-People:* Ahmed Marzooq, also known as Mare, a footballer and Secretary General of Maldives Olympic Committee* Mare Winningham, American actress and singer...
Dalicia is a Thoroughbred
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
race horse, notable for winning the 137th
2011 Kentucky Derby
The 2011 Kentucky Derby was the 137th running of the Kentucky Derby, on May 7. The race was won by Animal Kingdom, ridden by John Velazquez, trained by H. Graham Motion and owned by Team Valor....
Kentucky Derby
Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is one and a quarter mile at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry...
. The race was run on May 7, 2011 before a record crowd of 164,858. Animal Kingdom is the latest in a long line of Kentucky Derby winners (dating back to 1979's Spectacular Bid
Spectacular Bid
Spectacular Bid was an American Thoroughbred race horse. "The Bid" as he was known was one of the most dominant gallopers of his time...
) to fail to win the United States Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing
United States Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing
In the United States, the "Triple Crown" is usually the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, a series of three Thoroughbred horse races for three-year-old horses run in May and early June of each year consisting of the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes.While Daily Racing Form...
, the most elusive championship in all of sports. Animal Kingdom has competed on multiple tracks and on turf, dirt, and synthetic surfaces, placing in the money in six of seven efforts.
Breeding and early life
Bred by Team ValorTeam Valor
Team Valor Stable LLC is an American Thoroughbred horse racing stable based in Versailles, Kentucky. It was founded by Barry Irwin and Jeff Siegel who create partnerships with racing enthusiasts to race Thoroughbred horses at major racing venues, primarily in North America.In early July 2007,...
racing stable and born at Denali Stud in Paris, Kentucky, his sire Leroidesanimaux (Le roi des animaux, French, translates as "King of the animals.") was bred in Brazil and of European bloodlines that traditionally ran on turf. His dam Dalicia, was German-bred and had never raced on dirt in the course of her career.
The colt was entered into the September 2009 Keeneland Sales
Keeneland Sales
The Keeneland Sales is an American Thoroughbred auction house in Lexington, Kentucky founded in 1935 as a nonprofit racing/auction entity on 147 acres of farmland west of Lexington, which had been owned by Jack O. Keene...
as a yearling. The Team Valor partnership that bred Animal Kingdom sold him for $100,000 to a new Team Valor partnership who planned to race him. The chief executive of the partnership is Barry Irwin
Barry Irwin
Barry Howard Irwin is the owner of the Thoroughbred horse racing stable of Team Valor International in Versailles, Kentucky...
. The original breeding partnership was dissolved.
Early racing career
At two, his training was taken over by Arlington ParkArlington Park
Arlington Park is a horse race track in the Chicago suburb of Arlington Heights, Illinois. Horse racing in the Chicago region has been a popular sport since the early days of the city in the 1830s, and at one time Chicago had more horse racing tracks than any other major metropolitan area...
trainer Wayne Catalano. In his debut race on September 18, 2010, he ran an off-the-turf 8.5 furlongs race, coming from the back of the pack to finish a strong second to the favorite, Willcox Inn. Animal Kingdom broke his maiden in his second race, a mile and an eighth Maiden Special Weight race at Keeneland Race Course, this time over Polytrack.
In his first race at age 3 (March 3, 2011), he again ran second in an optional claiming race going a mile on the turf at Gulfstream Park
Gulfstream Park
Gulfstream Park Racing & Casino is a racetrack and county-approved racino in Hallandale Beach, Florida, in the United States. During its annual meet, which spans December through April, it is one of the most important venues for horse racing in America....
. He broke badly, then raced midpack before sweeping three-wide off the turn to finish a head behind the wire-to-wire winner Powhatan County.
Around this time Irwin decided to put all Team Valor horses with only one trainer and chose Graham Motion, a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
expatriate. Motion, 46 in 2011, moved to the U.S. with his family at the age of 16 and has been involved in Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
racing for 26 years. Among the top 10 trainers in Maryland from 1995–2001, he was based at Laurel Park
Laurel Park
Laurel Park can refer to some places in the United States:*Laurel Park, North Carolina*Laurel Park, Virginia*Laurel Park, Richmond, California, a neighborhood*Laurel Park Racecourse, horse racing facility in Laurel, Maryland...
before moving his stable to the Fair Hill Training Center
Fair Hill Training Center
Fair Hill Training Center is a racehorse training center based in Fair Hill, Maryland. It was owned by William duPont, Jr. of the well-known Dupont family who bought the land in 1926. Dupont invested a substantial amount of money to make the property a leading breeding and training farm for his...
in 2002. Irwin selected Motion for his European-style training methods, honesty and resistance to use of unneeded medications in racing horses. Motion was one of only two top 20 money-earning trainers without a single medication violation in 2010.
On March 26, 2011, Motion entered Animal Kingdom into a Graded stakes race
Graded stakes race
A graded stakes race is a term applied since 1973 by the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association to thoroughbred horse races in the United States and Canada to describe races that derive their name from the stake, or entry fee, owners must pay...
for the first time. Competing at Turfway Park
Turfway Park
Turfway Park is an American horse racing track located just outside the city limits to the north of Florence, Kentucky, about 10 miles south of the Ohio River at Cincinnati...
in the Grade III Vinery Racing Spiral Stakes, again over Polytrack, he went to the post as the 3/1 second choice in the betting. Breaking slowly, he raced near the back of the pack, then made a big move to catch eventual Derby contenders Decisive Moment and Twinspired. He won by 2 and 3/4 lengths.
Triple crown races
Two of Motion's horses were Kentucky DerbyKentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is one and a quarter mile at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry...
contenders: Animal Kingdom and Toby's Corner. Toby's Corner had just won the Grade I
Graded stakes race
A graded stakes race is a term applied since 1973 by the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association to thoroughbred horse races in the United States and Canada to describe races that derive their name from the stake, or entry fee, owners must pay...
Wood Memorial but had to drop out of the running during the week of the race due to a sore leg. Motion was left with Animal Kingdom to start. On the morning of the Kentucky Derby
Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is one and a quarter mile at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry...
, his morning-line odds were 30-1. By post time, he ran the race at odds of 21-1. Supposedly a turf horse, this was his first race on dirt. Animal Kingdom drew post 16 and was ridden to a 2 -3/4 length victory in the Derby by jockey
Jockey
A jockey is an athlete who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing.-Etymology:...
John R. Velazquez, originally scheduled to ride another horse, the early favorite and American Champion Two-Year-Old Colt Uncle Mo
Uncle Mo
Uncle Mo is an American Champion Thoroughbred racehorse who went undefeated in his two-year-old season.In his first start, a maiden special weight on the Travers undercard at Saratoga, Uncle Mo led at every call, crushing the field of 2-yr olds by 14 1/4 lengths...
. Uncle Mo was scratched due to a gastrointestinal illness on the Friday before the race, and Velazquez (who was discovered by his agent Angel Cordero) replaced injured rider
Jockey
A jockey is an athlete who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing.-Etymology:...
Robby Albarado
Robby Albarado
Robby J. Albarado is an American Thoroughbred horse racing jockey. He began riding at the age of 12 at bush tracks in his native Louisiana and after turning professional, earned his first win at Evangeline Downs in 1990...
on Animal Kingdom. This was the first time Velazquez had ridden Animal Kingdom, and the jockey's first Kentucky Derby win in 13 tries.
No horse had won the Derby with only four previous races since Exterminator
Exterminator (horse)
Exterminator was an American Thoroughbred racehorse and the winner of the 1918 Kentucky Derby, and in 1922 won Horse of the Year honors....
in 1918. Although Big Brown
Big Brown
Big Brown is a retired champion American Thoroughbred racehorse and winner of the 2008 Kentucky Derby and 2008 Preakness Stakes. Bred by Dr. Gary B. Knapp's Monticule Farms in Lexington, Kentucky, he won his first five race starts. He was sired by Grade III winner Boundary, a son of North American...
's 2008 Derby was only his fourth start. No horse since Needles
Needles (horse)
Needles was an American Hall of Fame Champion Thoroughbred racehorse. Bred and raced in Florida, the descendant of Blenheim II and a son and grandson of Kentucky Derby winners Ponder and Pensive, Needles was a sickly foal who was given his name because of the numerous veterinary injections he was...
in 1956 had won the Derby off a six-week layoff. No horse in the Derby but Secretariat
Secretariat (horse)
Secretariat was an American Thoroughbred racehorse, that in 1973 became the first U.S. Triple Crown champion in 25 years, setting new race records in two of the three events in the Series—the Kentucky Derby , and the Belmont Stakes —records that still stand today.Secretariat was sired by Bold...
closed his final half-mile faster, a spectacular :47 1/5.
It was also Motion's first Derby win, and, unfamiliar with the track, he could not find his way to the winner's circle at Churchill Downs
Churchill Downs
Churchill Downs, located in Central Avenue in south Louisville, Kentucky, United States, is a Thoroughbred racetrack most famous for hosting the Kentucky Derby annually. It officially opened in 1875, and held the first Kentucky Derby and the first Kentucky Oaks in the same year. Churchill Downs...
until assisted by the trainer of fourth-place Shackleford
Shackleford (horse)
Shackleford is a chestnut Thoroughbred race horse who won the 2011 Preakness Stakes. His pedigree traces to major sires of significance, including his grandsire Storm Cat and his damsire Unbridled as well as numerous fourth generation who were champion breeders...
, Dale Romans.
Animal Kingdom was entered to run in the 2011 Preakness Stakes
2011 Preakness Stakes
The 2011 Preakness Stakes was the 136th running of the Preakness Stakes and was won by Shackleford. The race took place on May 21, 2011, and was televised in the United States on the NBC television network. The post time was EDT . The race was the 12th race on a card of 13 races...
which took place on May 21, 2011. He drew the 11th post position. Closing fast from well back of the pack, coming down the middle of the track, he caught every horse but the winner, Shackleford
Shackleford (horse)
Shackleford is a chestnut Thoroughbred race horse who won the 2011 Preakness Stakes. His pedigree traces to major sires of significance, including his grandsire Storm Cat and his damsire Unbridled as well as numerous fourth generation who were champion breeders...
. Animal Kingdom's runner-up finish in the Preakness Stakes
Preakness Stakes
The Preakness Stakes is an American flat Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held on the third Saturday in May each year at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It is a Grade I race run over a distance of 9.5 furlongs on dirt. Colts and geldings carry 126 pounds ; fillies 121 lb...
locked up the year's Highest combined Triple Crown finish among all starters as recorded by Triple Crown Productions
Triple Crown Productions
Triple Crown Productions was an ad hoc production company that produced the series of Triple Crown races for thoroughbred horses.-Formation:In 1985, a group of people wanted to increase the stature of the Triple Crown on television. Other than the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes and Belmont...
.
At the Belmont Stakes
Belmont Stakes
The Belmont Stakes is an American Grade I stakes Thoroughbred horse race held every June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is a 1.5-mile horse race, open to three year old Thoroughbreds. Colts and geldings carry a weight of 126 pounds ; fillies carry 121 pounds...
, on June 11, 2011, he finished out of the money attributed to a bad start on a sloppy track. He broke clean but encountered trouble almost immediately when cut off by Mucho Macho Man, who had been pushed over by Isn't He Perfect. In the process, Animal Kingdom clipped heels with yet another horse, possibly either Monzon or Mucho Macho Man, causing a stumble that nearly unseated jockey John Velazquez, throwing Velazquez forward onto the horse's neck, losing a stirrup. By the time the jockey regained his stirrup and seat, they were last. However, Animal Kingdom rallied in the homestretch, moving up from last to sixth. Isn't He Perfect finished last and his jockey, Rajiv Maragh
Rajiv Maragh
Rajiv Maragh is a jockey in American Thoroughbred horse racing. An Indo-Jamaican, he is the son of a jockey who rode in Jamaica before relocating to Florida where he began a career as a horse trainer....
, was later suspended seven days for careless riding.
Status
Following the Belmont, the horse came out with a stiff left hind leg. Nuclear bone scans conducted at Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital revealed a small fissure at the proximal aspect of the left hind cannon bone where it articulates with the hock. A small bone defect below the previously observed fissure on his left hock was diagnosed as a slab fracture on June 29, and Animal Kingdom will not race for the remainder of the 2011 season. Two screws were placed in the slab fracture during surgery on June 30, 2011 at the New Bolton Research Center in Kennett Square. Animal Kingdom recovered well from surgery and his long term goal will be the 2012 Dubai World CupDubai World Cup
The Dubai World Cup is a Thoroughbred horse race held annually since 1996 and from 2010 at the Meydan Racecourse in the city of Dubai, United Arab Emirates...
.
Race record
| Finish | Race | Distance | Jockey | Time | Grade | Runner up/Winner | Track | Date | Notes |
| 6th | Belmont Stakes Belmont Stakes The Belmont Stakes is an American Grade I stakes Thoroughbred horse race held every June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is a 1.5-mile horse race, open to three year old Thoroughbreds. Colts and geldings carry a weight of 126 pounds ; fillies carry 121 pounds... |
mi | John Velazquez | I | Ruler on Ice (1st) | Belmont Park Belmont Park Belmont Park is a major thoroughbred horse-racing facility located in Elmont in the Town of Hempstead in Nassau County, New York, on Long Island adjoining New York City. It first opened on May 4, 1905... |
June 11, 2011 | Sloppy track, interference at start, stumbled, had no chance in race | |
| 2nd | Preakness Stakes Preakness Stakes The Preakness Stakes is an American flat Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held on the third Saturday in May each year at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It is a Grade I race run over a distance of 9.5 furlongs on dirt. Colts and geldings carry 126 pounds ; fillies 121 lb... |
mi | John Velazquez | 1:56.47 | I | Shackleford (1st) | Pimlico Pimlico Pimlico is a small area of central London in the City of Westminster. Like Belgravia, to which it was built as a southern extension, Pimlico is known for its grand garden squares and impressive Regency architecture.... |
May 21, 2011 | |
| 1st | Kentucky Derby Kentucky Derby The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is one and a quarter mile at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry... |
mi | John R. Velazquez | 2:02.04 | I | Nehro | Churchill Downs Churchill Downs Churchill Downs, located in Central Avenue in south Louisville, Kentucky, United States, is a Thoroughbred racetrack most famous for hosting the Kentucky Derby annually. It officially opened in 1875, and held the first Kentucky Derby and the first Kentucky Oaks in the same year. Churchill Downs... |
5/07/11 | Won under odds of 21-1 |
| 1st | Spiral Stakes | mi | Alan Garcia Alan Garcia (jockey) Alan Garcia is a thoroughbred horse racing jockey. He was Peru's leading apprentice jockey in 2003 and in that same year he began racing in the United States at the Meadowlands Racetrack where he was also the leading apprentice. His father and grandfather were both jockeys in Peru... |
1:52.32 | III | Decisive Moment | Turfway Park Turfway Park Turfway Park is an American horse racing track located just outside the city limits to the north of Florence, Kentucky, about 10 miles south of the Ohio River at Cincinnati... |
3/27/11 | |
| 2nd | Allowance | 1 mi (T) | Rajiv Maragh Rajiv Maragh Rajiv Maragh is a jockey in American Thoroughbred horse racing. An Indo-Jamaican, he is the son of a jockey who rode in Jamaica before relocating to Florida where he began a career as a horse trainer.... |
1:34.66 | None | Powhattan County (1st) | Gulfstream Park Gulfstream Park Gulfstream Park Racing & Casino is a racetrack and county-approved racino in Hallandale Beach, Florida, in the United States. During its annual meet, which spans December through April, it is one of the most important venues for horse racing in America.... , FL |
3/03/11 | |
| 1st | Maiden Special Weight | mi | Robby Albarado Robby Albarado Robby J. Albarado is an American Thoroughbred horse racing jockey. He began riding at the age of 12 at bush tracks in his native Louisiana and after turning professional, earned his first win at Evangeline Downs in 1990... |
1:49.01 | None | Bonaroo | Keeneland Race Course, KY | 10/23/10 | |
| 2nd | Maiden Special Weight | Junior Alvarado | 1:45.14 | None | Willcox Inn (1st) | Arlington Park Arlington Park Arlington Park is a horse race track in the Chicago suburb of Arlington Heights, Illinois. Horse racing in the Chicago region has been a popular sport since the early days of the city in the 1830s, and at one time Chicago had more horse racing tracks than any other major metropolitan area... |
9/18/10 |
Breeding
External links
- Animal Kingdom Horse website
- Animal Kingdom's pedigree and racing stats
- 5-generation pedigree
- Animal Kingdom's sire
- Animal Kingdom, hope for the future of American racing
- Steve Haskin's Derby Recap
- Animal Kingdom Seeks Second Leg in Triple Crown