Animal Kingdom settles in at Belmont

Animal Kingdom arrived at Belmont Park on Sunday (Harold Roth/Horsephotos.com)

Kentucky Derby (G1) winner and Preakness (G1) runner-up ANIMAL
KINGDOM (Leroidesanimaux [Brz]) arrived at Belmont Park Sunday morning
at approximately 7:30 a.m. (EDT) in advance of a run in the $1 million
Belmont S. (G1) on Saturday.

The three-year-old colt took a few laps around the shedrow before
getting acclimated to his new stall in the barn of trainer David Donk, a
longtime friend of the Derby winner’s conditioner, H. Graham Motion.

He
was expected to gallop on the main track later Sunday morning and will
have his final pre-race workout on Monday.

“He looked great and shipped fine, cool as a cucumber as usual,” said David
Rock, assistant trainer to Motion. “He is a very laid-back horse so we wouldn’t
expect anything else, really. We are excited for the Belmont. You gotta be here.
If you are doing good you’re here.

Animal Kingdom checked out the view from his stall at Belmont (Courtesy of NYRA)

“Unfortunately we didn’t win the last one, but we’re looking forward
to a rematch (with Shackleford [Forestry]) and there are some other real
horses in the race as well.”

The 1 1/2-mile Belmont, which will be run for the 143rd time as the
oldest and longest leg of the series, will feature a rematch between
Animal Kingdom and Preakness victor Shackleford, and represents just the
22nd time in the history of the Triple Crown that the Derby and
Preakness winners have squared off in the Belmont.

Animal Kingdom, a 2 3/4-length winner of the May 7 Derby under jockey
John Velazquez, will be bidding to become just the 12th horse in history
to complete the Derby-Belmont double, a feat last accomplished in 1995
by eventual three-year-old champion Thunder Gulch.