Animal Kingdom returns with win at Gulfstream

Horseracing Betting Lines

02/18/2012 - Hallandale Beach, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Eclipse Award winner Animal Kingdom made a successful return to the races on Saturday with a worst-to-first result at Gulfstream Park. The four-year-old was making his first start since last year's Belmont Stakes.

Trained by Graham Motion, Animal Kingdom was the 3-5 post-time favorite in the six-horse field and was ridden by John Velazquez. The chestnut colt, owned by Team Valor, was using the 1 1/16-mile allowance race on the turf as a prep for the $10 million Dubai World Cup on March 31.

The colt originally was to start in the Tampa Bay Stakes on the grass at Tampa Bay Downs on February 25.

After trailing the field in the early going during the race, Animal Kingdom began to advance from the outside with a half-mile to run. The favorite drew even with the leaders on the final turn and took the lead entering the stretch.

"They went slow enough where he just pulled me into contention all on his own," said Velazquez. "I let him do what he wanted as opposed to wrangling him back behind horses."

Animal Kingdom drove down the stretch to register a two-length victory over 2-1 second choice Monument Hill. Bell by the Ridge was third followed by Royal Hill, Tannersville and Midnight Mischief.

"The second I started kissing at him in the stretch, he picked it right up and took off," Velazquez said. "It was a great feeling today and great to have him back. He felt as good as ever."

The time for the race on a firm turf course was 1:41.72.

"All we were worried about was having him run too big. We didn't want to see a big race and have him leave it on the track. We did not need a big race here. All we wanted was a nice quiet race and we got it," said Barry Irwin, founder and CEO of Team Valor International. "He's much better than he was last year. This race is not going to prove that, but we can tell by the way he trains and the way he looks, he's a much better horse this year."

The 2011 Kentucky Derby winner and champion three-year-old picked up $30,000 with the win and now has earnings of more than $1.96 million. It was his fourth win in eight career starts.

"Obviously, I would have been disappointed if he hadn't won today, when you've have a race that's set up for you. But this was the best thing for us. He still had to go out there and it," Motion said. "He needed a race and still has six weeks to regroup to get him to Dubai in the right way."

Animal Kingdom suffered a hairline fracture during the running of the 2011 Belmont Stakes. Prior to that he was second in the Preakness Stakes in addition to taking the Run for the Roses. In March of last year he captured the Spiral Stakes at Turfway Park.

"This horse has come a long way since October. Nothing was more heartbreaking than to see this horse stuck in a stall a week after the Belmont. He went from being the fittest horse in the country to not being able to get out of his stall. That was tough," said Motion, whose Derby winner underwent surgery to repair a fracture in his left hind leg in June. "To see him today, back to himself, obviously Im elated."

Animal Kingdom returned $3.20, $2.20 and $2.10. Monument Hill paid $2.80 and $2.10, and Bell by the Ridge paid $4.20 to show.

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