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Derby winner powers through another long gallop
ST is chronicling the life of Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom, who is training for the May 21 Preakness at Fair Hill Training Center. The Team Valor horse arrived at Fair Hill, our home base, Tuesday after the Derby and we’ll keep up with him as he gets ready for the next step and continues on the trail.
Wednesday, May 18
Think of a stakeout run by really bad detectives.
Two by the trees at the end of the path, four by the next barn over, one on the path, three on the rail by the dirt track gap and a mass of humanity on the porch and steps of the clockers stand at what would be the finish line on a real racetrack. People, people everywhere – for Fair Hill Training Center anyway.
All to watch a horse train. Crazy.
Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom looked his usual self, mimicking yesterday’s gallop as he broke off last in a set of 10 – jogging to the backside after a stand-in, then two laps of the 7-furlong Tapeta track at a gallop. He stayed 10th as the set strung out over more than 3 furlongs – looking placid the first time, energized the second. Animal Kingdom finishes his gallops far faster than he starts them, and pulled up halfway down the back after all of his setmates had returned to a walk.
The orchestration makes the exercise fun to watch – you don’t often see 10 horses galloping in a single-file line on a racetrack – and resembles the massive groups training at The Curragh in Ireland, Lambourn in England, any of the world’s revered training grounds.
Afterward, the game turned to pursuit as everyone – everyone – headed back to the barn for a look. Team Valor’s Barry Irwin leaned on a truck and talked to the press and Motion ducked into the barn to help organize the next set. Later, it was Motion’s turn in the mill as he answered questions about the horse.
Meanwhile . . . Animal Kingdom walked the shedrow draped in a green and red cooler. He cooled out gradually, looked curiously at the people, tried to take a few playful nibbles out of Noe Lagunas. Halfway through, he let out a long, breathy sigh while passing the tackroom door. If anything bothered him, he wasn’t showing. Afterward he had a bath and grazed out behind the barn (where he’d prefer to stay all day if he could).
During Motion’s mass interview session, he talked about life with a Derby winner.
“Everything is fairly normal up until 9 o’clock, then it goes haywire,” he said. “I’ve got a really good crew and it’s exciting for everybody, from the hotwalkers to the assistants. Neither of my assistants (Adrian Rolls and Dave Rock) are very emotional guys and they’ve both been a little jittery this week.”
At some point, a reporter asked why Motion felt Animal Kingdom was going to win the Preakness.
“I never said he was going to win the Preakness,” the trainer said. “I feel great about running this horse in the Preakness. I’m thrilled about how he’s doing. He’s a very nice horse to be doing this with.”
Kick save and a beauty.
NOTES: Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley has scheduled a Friday morning visit to Fair Hill . . . Motion’s Wood Memorial winner Toby’s Corner, who came up lame a few days before the Derby, appears 100 percent now and may have his first shedrow session under tack tomorrow . . . In a dose of normalcy, Motion (who turns 47 Sunday) had to get his driver’s license renewed this week – and he fit a trip to the Motor Vehicle Administration around interview requests Tuesday afternoon . . . There has also been talk of Motion throwing out the first pitch before Thursday night’s Orioles-Yankees game (he’s been warming up with son Chappy) . . . Motion confirmed Wednesday that he would ship Animal Kingdom and his other Preakness Day runners to Pimlico early Saturday morning.
Worth Repeating
“Not as well as I used to.”
Trainer Graham Motion, on how he’s sleeping this week
PHOTO: The Maryland Department of Natural Resources speaks for all of Fair Hill.
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A few places to look for Animal Kingdom photos from Fair Hill this week
