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COMMENTARY JUNE 13, 2013 History in Motion by Kelsey Riley Training racehorses, like many other aspects of the Thoroughbred industry, could be described as a fine balance between science and art. International campaigns provide a whole new dimension, and on Tuesday, British-born, American-based trainer Graham Motion will attempt to pull off a truly unprecedented training feat when he saddles Team Valor International's Kentucky Derby and Dubai World Cup winner Animal Kingdom in the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot. Derby winners have won in Dubai before, and so too have World Cup winners emerged victorious at the Royal Meeting, but never before has a horse completed the hat trick. Animal Kingdom will become the first Kentucky Derby winner to compete at Royal Ascot since Triple Crown winner Omaha finished second in the 1936 Gold Cup. What's more, if he is successful, he will retire with Grade/Group 1 victories on dirt, synthetic, and turf surfaces on three different continents. So how does one prepare a horse for such a feat? Motion noted that Animal Kingdom's personality has been the foundation for his success. "He's a horse that adapts to most anything," Motion said. "He's such a sensible horse that handles things so well, and I think that's one of the reasons we're doing this. If he wasn't, we wouldn't be doing it." This kind of challenge no doubt requires a horse of great talent and constitution, but without the right trainer at the helm, even the greatest horse's hopes would be dashed up the testing two furlong climb to the Queen Anne finish line. Motion has truly had his wits tested in developing Animal Kingdom from a lightly-raced Kentucky Derby winner into the horse he is today -- including two lengthy layoffs due to injury -- and preparing the colt for the Queen Anne over one of the world's most difficult courses may be his greatest challenge yet. The trainer, who has made the transatlantic trip to monitor his champion several times over the past few months, returned to England in time to watch Animal Kingdom put in his final work at trainer David Lanigan's yard in Lambourn Wednesday. The five-year-old went five furlongs in company in 1:03. "It went well," Motion noted. "I wasn't looking for a real hard work for him. I wanted him to do something within himself. I think it went very smoothly. I was very pleased. It was kind of similar to what we did with him before the Breeders' Cup." Motion, who last visited when Animal Kingdom put in a racecourse gallop at Ascot May 29, said the chestnut appeared visibly more fit six days out from the race. "He seems to have done well since we've gone to Ascot," he said. "He looks fitter to me, so I'm very pleased with him." Motion noted that the basic principles of Animal Kingdom's training have remained the same throughout his international travel, and the main adjustment he has had to make is to the undulating gallops and racecourses of England. Motion noted that Animal Kingdom has trained daily on a straight gallop with a steady climb, and he has also done some slow work on an undulating turf gallop that would more closely mirror Ascot. In a testament to how demanding this change is on a horse, Motion admitted it took Animal Kingdom some time to make the adjustment, but he has seen a vast improvement since the horse arrived in England April 6. "The first couple weeks it took some getting used to for him, because it was so different from what he has done before," Motion explained. "Once we worked him, he really got the hang of it, and he's been more aggressive and more on the muscle and he just goes about the gallops like he's been here all his life. Physically, he's put on different muscles. Galloping up a steady climb like that everyday, his muscles have certainly changed." Another first for Animal Kingdom next Tuesday will be racing on a straight course rather than around an oval as he has done in America and Dubai. The straight mile of the Queen Anne includes two sizeable dips before the climb to the finish, which commences about two furlongs out. Motion noted it was for this reason that he sent his charge to test the racecourse at Ascot, something he wouldn't consider a necessity in America. "It's certainly going to be a challenge; it's going to be difficult for him," Motion noted. "(Ascot Racecourse) offered us the opportunity to do that, so it seemed to me to make sense, but in the States I would not normally do a racetrack breeze." Despite the unique challenges presented, Motion noted he would not change race tactics with Animal Kingdom, who will be reunited with his Derby-winning jockey John Velazquez for the first time since a Gulfstream optional claiming victory last February. Animal Kingdom's ownership group opted to replace Dubai World Cup winning jockey Joel Rosario in favor of Velazquez, who has won at Royal Ascot in the past. "He's a straightforward horse, Johnny knows him, and it comes down to the reason we're riding Johnny," Motion said. "He knows the horse and he's ridden at Ascot. If Joel was riding, I think it wouldn't be as straightforward for him since he's never ridden the course before. I'd like to think having Johnny's experience riding at Ascot will help. "We were faced with the decision of whether to use Joel, who's obviously ridden the horse but never ridden at Ascot, using a European rider, who's ridden the course but never ridden Animal Kingdom, or using Johnny, whose done both, and that seems to me the logical way to go." All these challenges provide the many pieces to the puzzle that must come together for Animal Kingdom to taste victory next week. If he can put them together, he will stand in a league of his own, and he and his trainer will no doubt be remembered amongst racing's greats.
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