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Animal Kingdom passed all 10 of his rivals before finally getting the best of a stubborn last one when stamping his Kentucky Derby ticket Saturday by winning the 40th running of the Grade 3, $500,000 Vinery Racing Spiral Stakes, the annual showcase event at Turfway Park.
With Alan Garcia aboard for trainer Graham Motion, Animal Kingdom lagged back early while actually not too far behind the front-running group, then steadily made up ground down the backstretch and in the final turn of the 1 1/8-mile Polytrack race. By the quarter pole, he had dead aim on Decisive Moment, who had emerged best of the others and wound up being the only opponent to give the eventual winner a challenge by briefly matching strides in upper stretch. Animal Kingdom then drew clear late to win by 2 3/4 lengths, and it was another 3 1/4 lengths back to Twinspired in third and 5 3/4 more back to Beachcombing in fourth.
"I had a little bit of trouble into the first time and I said, 'Okay, let me be patient,' " said Garcia. "I thought if he's good enough, he's going to go on, and he did. I'm very excited. Wherever this horse goes, I want to be there."
Read more: http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/horse/triplecrown2011/news/story?id=6261895
With Alan Garcia aboard for trainer Graham Motion, Animal Kingdom lagged back early while actually not too far behind the front-running group, then steadily made up ground down the backstretch and in the final turn of the 1 1/8-mile Polytrack race. By the quarter pole, he had dead aim on Decisive Moment, who had emerged best of the others and wound up being the only opponent to give the eventual winner a challenge by briefly matching strides in upper stretch. Animal Kingdom then drew clear late to win by 2 3/4 lengths, and it was another 3 1/4 lengths back to Twinspired in third and 5 3/4 more back to Beachcombing in fourth.
"I had a little bit of trouble into the first time and I said, 'Okay, let me be patient,' " said Garcia. "I thought if he's good enough, he's going to go on, and he did. I'm very excited. Wherever this horse goes, I want to be there."
Read more: http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/horse/triplecrown2011/news/story?id=6261895
