Animal Kingdom (foaled in

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...

on March 20, 2008) is a champion American

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. Thoroughbreds are c ...

racehorse Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic pr ...

who won the

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. "ESPN Animal Kingdom wins 137th Derby" ESPN.g ...

and 2013

Dubai World Cup The Dubai World Cup (Arabic: كأس دبي العالمي) is a Thoroughbred horse race held annually since 1996 and contested at the Meydan Racecourse (Arabic: ميدان) which in Arabic suggests a place wher ...

. His Derby win took place on May 7, 2011, before a record crowd of 164,858. After the Derby, Animal Kingdom finished second in the Preakness Stakes and sixth in the Belmont Stakes before his career was disrupted by injury. He returned to finish second in the 2012

Breeders' Cup Mile The Breeders' Cup Mile is a Grade 1 Weight for Age stakes race for thoroughbred racehorses three years old and up, run on a grass course. It has been conducted annually as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships since the event's incept ...

before winning the

as a five-year-old in 2013. Animal Kingdom is the first Kentucky Derby winner to win a

Grade One Grade 1 may refer to: *First grade, the first school year of primary education. *A Grade 1 Graded stakes race horse race * ''Grade One'' (TV series), a 2014 Chinese TV variety show *Grade 1 listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed b ...

race at the age of five. He has won Grade 1 races on both dirt and synthetic surfaces.

Breeding and early life

Bred by

Team Valor Team Valor Stable LLC is an American Thoroughbred horse racing stable based in Lake Worth, Florida. It was founded by Barry Irwin and Jeff Siegel who create partnerships (syndicates) with racing enthusiasts to race Thoroughbred horses at major ...

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 never raced on dirt. The colt was entered into the September 2009

Keeneland Sales Keeneland Sales is an American Thoroughbred auction house in Lexington, Kentucky founded in 1935 as a nonprofit racing/auction entity on 147 acres (0.59 km2) of farmland west of Lexington, which had been owned by Jack O. Keene. A division of ...

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 Howard Irwin (born April 21, 1943 in Long Beach, California) is the owner of the Thoroughbred horse racing stable of Team Valor International in Lake Worth, Florida. He is the owner and breeder of the 2011 Kentucky Derby and 2013 Dubai World ...

. The original breeding partnership was dissolved.

Early racing career

At two, Animal Kingdom's training was taken over by

Arlington Park Arlington International Racecourse (formerly Arlington Park, the name was Arlington Park Jockey Club from as soon as 1948 up to 1955) was a horse race track in the Chicago suburb of Arlington Heights, Illinois. Horse racing in the Chicago regi ...

trainer Wayne Catalano. In his debut race on September 18, 2010, he ran in an off-the-turf 8.5 furlongs race, coming from the back of the pack to finish 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 Keeneland Association, Inc. is an equine business based in Lexington, Kentucky. It includes two distinct divisions: the Keeneland Race Course, a Thoroughbred racing facility, and Keeneland Sales, a horse auction complex. It is also known for its ...

, this time over

Polytrack The track surface of a horse racing track refers to the material of which the track is made. There are three types of track surfaces used in modern horse racing. These are: *Turf, the most common track surface in Europe *Dirt, the most common track ...

. In his first race at age 3 (March 3, 2011), he ran second in an optional claiming race on a mile on the turf at

Gulfstream Park Gulfstream Park, owned by The Stronach Group, is a Thoroughbred race track, casino and outdoor entertainment and shopping destination in Hallandale Beach, Florida. Thoroughbred horse racing occurs year-round, defined by three distinct race meets ...

. 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 H. Graham Motion (born May 22, 1964, in Cambridge, England) is an American horse trainer, notable for his work with 2011 Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom (horse), Animal Kingdom and Better Talk Now. Motion started out training and winning with ...

, 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 Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

racing for 26 years. Among the top 10 trainers in Maryland from 1995 to 2001, he was based at Laurel Park before moving his stable to the

Fair Hill Training Center Fair Hill Training Center is a racehorse training center based in Fair Hill, Maryland, Fair Hill, Maryland. It was owned by William du Pont, Jr. of the well-known Du Pont family, who bought the land in 1926. Dupont invested a substantial amount of ...

in 2002. Irwin selected Motion because of his European-style training methods, honesty and resistance to the 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 A graded stakes race is a thoroughbred horse race in the United States that meets the criteria of the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA). A specific grade level (I, II, III or listed) is then ...

for the first time. Competing at

Turfway Park Turfway Park is an American horse racing track located within the city limits of Florence, Kentucky, about south of the Ohio River at Cincinnati. The track conducts live Thoroughbred horse racing during two meets each year—Holiday (December), ...

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 and win by 2 and 3/4 lengths.

Triple Crown races

Two of Motion's horses were

Kentucky Derby The Kentucky Derby is a horse race held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States, almost always on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The competition is a Grade I stakes race for three-year ...

contenders: Animal Kingdom and Toby's Corner. Toby's Corner won the

Grade I In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...

Wood Memorial The Wood Memorial Stakes is an American flat Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held annually in April at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, Queens, New York. It is run over a distance of 1 1/8 miles (9 furlongs) on dirt. The Wood Memoria ...

but dropped 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

, his morning-line odds were 30–1. By post time, he was 21–1 in his first race on dirt. Animal Kingdom drew post 16 and was ridden to a length victory in the Derby by

jockey A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing. The word "jockey" originated from England and was used to describe the individual ...

John R. Velazquez, who was originally scheduled to ride the early favorite and

American Champion Two-Year-Old Colt The American Champion Two-Year-Old Male Horse is an American Thoroughbred horse racing honor awarded annually in Thoroughbred flat racing. It became part of the Eclipse Awards program in 1971. The award originated in 1936 when the ''Daily Racing F ...

Uncle Mo Uncle Mo (foaled March 10, 2008, in Kentucky) is an American champion Thoroughbred racehorse who went undefeated in his two-year-old season and was named the American Champion Two-Year-Old of 2010. However, his three-year-old season was disrupted ...

. 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 In various theistic religious traditions an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God. Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles include ...

) replaced injured rider

Robby Albarado Robby J. Albarado (born September 11, 1973, in Lafayette, Louisiana) is an American Thoroughbred horse racing jockey. He began riding at the age of 10 and progressed to riding at bush tracks in his native Louisiana by the age of 12. After turning ...

on Animal Kingdom. This was the first time Velazquez rode 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 Big Brown may refer to: * Big Brown (horse), an American thoroughbred racehorse * Big brown bat, an North American bat * Big Brown, a nickname for the delivery company United Parcel Service * Big Brown Box, an Australian online retailer *Big Brown ...

's 2008 Derby win came in 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 Secretariat may refer to: * Secretariat (administrative office) * Secretariat (horse) Secretariat (March 30, 1970 – October 4, 1989), also known as Big Red, was a champion American thoroughbred horse racing, racehorse who is the ninth winne ...

closed his final half-mile faster, :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 is a horse racing complex located on Central Avenue in south Louisville, Kentucky, United States, famed for hosting the annual Kentucky Derby. It officially opened in 1875 and was named for Samuel Churchill, whose family was ...

until assisted by the trainer of fourth-place

Shackleford Shackleford is a village and civil parish in the Borough of Guildford, Surrey, England centred to the west of the A3 between Guildford and Petersfield southwest of London and southwest of Guildford. Shackleford includes the localities of ...

Dale Romans Dale L. Romans (born August 14, 1966 in Louisville, Kentucky) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse trainer, best known for winning the 2011 Preakness Stakes with Shackleford and the Breeders' Cup Turf with Little Mike. He also upset American Pha ...

. Animal Kingdom was entered in the

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 ( UTC). The race ...

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,

. Animal Kingdom's runner-up finish in the

Preakness Stakes The Preakness Stakes is an American thoroughbred horse race held on Armed Forces Day which is also 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 ...

was the year's highest combined Triple Crown finish among all starters as recorded by

Triple Crown Productions Triple Crown Productions was an ad hoc production company that produced the series of Triple Crown races for thoroughbred horses. History Formation In 1985, a group of people wanted to increase the stature of the Triple Crown on television. Ot ...

. At the

Belmont Stakes The Belmont Stakes is an American Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbreds run at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is run over 1.5 miles (2,400 m). Colts and geldings carry a weight of ; fillies carry . The race, nicknamed Th ...

, on June 11, 2011, he finished out of the money attributed to a bad start on a sloppy track. He broke cleanly but encountered trouble almost immediately when cut off by

Mucho Macho Man Mucho Macho Man ( foaled June 15, 2008) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 2013 Breeders' Cup Classic. He was foaled in Florida and named after the Village People song " Macho Man". His breeders were Carole and John Rio of Flori ...

, who was pushed over by Isn't He Perfect. In the process, Animal Kingdom clipped heels with 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 (born July 9, 1985, in Spanish Town, Jamaica) 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 for seven days for careless riding. Following the Belmont, Animal Kingdom came out with a stiff left hind leg. Nuclear bone scans conducted at

Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital was established in Lexington, Kentucky in 1986 as a partnership between veterinarians William Rood and Thomas Riddle. The facility offers a range of services for the treatment of horses. They have cared for many famous ...

revealed a small fissure at the proximal aspect of the left hind

cannon bone Good conformation in the limbs leads to improved movement and decreased likelihood of injuries. Large differences in bone structure and size can be found in horses used for different activities, but correct conformation remains relatively simil ...

where it articulates with the

hock Hock may refer to: Common meanings: * Hock (wine), a type of wine * Hock (anatomy), part of an animal's leg * To leave an item with a pawnbroker People: * Hock (surname) * Richard "Hock" Walsh (1948-1999), Canadian blues singer Other uses: * A t ...

. 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 did 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 Kennett Square is a borough in Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is known as the Mushroom Capital of the World because mushroom farming in the region produces over 500 million pounds of mushrooms a year, totaling half of the United ...

2012: four-year-old season

Animal Kingdom recovered well from surgery and was slated to run in the 2012

. After winning a 1 1/16-mile turf race at Gulfstream Park, he suffered another fracture in the same leg. The injury was detected after a March 11, 2012, training run at

Palm Meadows Palm Meadows International Baseball Facility is an Australian baseball field located on the Gold Coast, Queensland. It is owned by Hungtat Worldwide Pty Ltd (Trading as Palm Meadows Golf course) and is leased through Gold Coast city council. It ...

, and he was withdrawn from competition in the Dubai World Cup. After a break of more than eight months, Animal Kingdom returned to run in the

on turf at

Santa Anita Park Santa Anita Park is a Thoroughbred racetrack in Arcadia, California, United States. It offers some of the prominent horse racing events in the United States during early fall, winter and in spring. The track is home to numerous prestigious races ...

. Starting a 14/1 outsider he finished strongly to take second place behind

Wise Dan Wise Dan (foaled February 20, 2007) is a champion American Hall of Fame and Canadian Hall of Fame Thoroughbred racehorse. He is the first horse to win the same three Eclipse Awards in consecutive years, having been named American Horse of the ...

, ahead of the multiple European Group One winners

Excelebration Excelebration (foaled 13 April 2008) is an Irish-bred Thoroughbred racehorse. As a three-year-old he recorded wins in the Mehl-Mülhens-Rennen and Hungerford Stakes, before winning his first Group 1 in the Prix du Moulin de Longchamp. After fin ...

and

Moonlight Cloud Moonlight Cloud (foaled 5 March 2008) is a British– bred, French- trained Thoroughbred racehorse who has won the Prix Maurice de Gheest three times and the Prix du Moulin de Longchamp. In a famous race for the Diamond Jubilee Stakes in 2012, sh ...

. In December, it was announced that a majority interest in Animal Kingdom had been sold to the Arrowfield Stud and would begin his career as a breeding stallion in Australia in September 2013. His owners also outlined a plan to race the horse in Dubai and Europe in the early part of the season.

2013: five-year-old season

Animal Kingdom began his five-year-old season on 9 February when he finished second to Point of Entry in the

Gulfstream Park Handicap The Gulfstream Park Mile Stakes (formerly known as the Gulfstream Park Handicap) is a race for thoroughbred horses run at Gulfstream Park each year. The race is open to horses age four and up, willing to race one mile on the dirt. A Grade II even ...

. He was then shipped to the

United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia (The Middle East). It is located at th ...

to contest the Dubai World Cup alongside fellow American challengers

Dullahan The Dullahan (Irish: Dubhlachan ; dúlachán, ), also called Gan Ceann (meaning "without a head" in Irish), is a type of mythological creature in Irish folklore. He is depicted as a headless rider, on a black horse, who carries his own head h ...

and

Royal Delta Royal Delta (February 2, 2008 – February 10, 2017) was a Champion American Thoroughbred Horse racing, racehorse. The daughter of Empire Maker was best known for winning back-to-back editions of the Breeders' Cup Ladies Classic (later renamed th ...

. Ridden by

Joel Rosario Joel Rosario (born January 14, 1985) is a Champion jockey in American Thoroughbred horse racing, originally from the Dominican Republic. In the space of five weeks in 2013 he rode the winners of the Dubai World Cup and the Kentucky Derby. More rec ...

he tracked the leader, Royal Delta, before taking the lead early in the straight, going clear of the field, and holding off the late challenge of

Red Cadeaux Red Cadeaux (6 March 2006 – 21 November 2015) was a British-bred Thoroughbred racehorse who was a triple runner up in the Melbourne Cup in 2011, 2013 and 2014. Racing career Notable performances by Red Cadeaux include: * June 2011 - 1st in ...

to win by two lengths, eased down. He became the first American-trained winner of the race since it was switched from dirt to a synthetic surface in 2010. On April 3, 2013 it was announced that Darley Stud had acquired 29% interest in the Dubai World Cup Winner. In June 2013, Animal Kingdom was sent to England to run in the

Queen Anne Stakes The Queen Anne Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 metres), and is scheduled to take pl ...

Royal Ascot Ascot Racecourse ("ascot" pronounced , often pronounced ) is a dual-purpose British racecourse, located in Ascot, Berkshire, England, which is used for thoroughbred horse racing. It hosts 13 of Britain's 36 annual Flat Group 1 horse races and ...

. He was the third Kentucky Derby winner to compete at the meeting after

Reigh Count Reigh Count (April 13, 1925–April 8, 1948) was an American Hall of Fame Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 1928 Kentucky Derby and the 1929 Coronation Cup in England. Reigh Count was bred by Willis Sharpe Kilmer and foaled at Court Manor n ...

in 1929 and

Omaha Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest city ...

in 1936. He started 5/4 favourite for the race, but finished eleventh of the thirteen runners behind

Declaration of War A declaration of war is a formal act by which one state (polity), state announces existing or impending war activity against another. The declaration is a performative speech act (or the signing of a document) by an authorized party of a nationa ...

Race record

Stud Record

Animal Kingdom stands as a stallion at JBBA Shizunai Stallion Station.

Notable progeny

''c =

colt Colt(s) or COLT may refer to: *Colt (horse), an intact (uncastrated) male horse under four years of age People * Colt (given name) *Colt (surname) Places *Colt, Arkansas, United States *Colt, Louisiana, an unincorporated community, United States ...

, f =

filly A filly is a female horse that is too young to be called a mare. There are two specific definitions in use: *In most cases, a ''filly'' is a female horse under four years old. *In some nations, such as the United Kingdom and the United States, t ...

'', g =

gelding A gelding is a castrated male horse or other equine, such as a pony, donkey or a mule. Castration, as well as the elimination of hormonally driven behavior associated with a stallion, allows a male equine to be calmer and better-behaved, makin ...

Pedigree

References

External links

Animal Kingdom Horse websiteAnimal Kingdom's pedigree and racing stats5-generation pedigreeAnimal Kingdom's sireAnimal Kingdom, hope for the future of American racingSteve Haskin's Derby Recap

Animal Kingdom Seeks Second Leg in Triple Crown

Steve Haskin: Bon Voyage Animal Kingdom

{{DEFAULTSORT:Animal Kingdom 2008 racehorse births Kentucky Derby winners Racehorses bred in Kentucky Racehorses trained in the United States Dubai World Cup winners Thoroughbred family 1-h American Grade 1 Stakes winners