Animal Kingdom headed to Maryland

KINGDOM (Leroidesanimaux [Brz]) began his journey to Maryland Tuesday

morning, boarding a van at Churchill Downs.

The three-year-old colt is

headed to conditioner Graham Motion's Fair Hill training center in

Maryland, where he will prepare for the second leg of the Triple Crown,

the May 21 Preakness S. (G1), at Pimlico.

"He is doing good and eating good, as always," assistant trainer

Dave Rock said Monday.

Motion departed Louisville, Kentucky, for Fair Hill on Monday afternoon.

Prior to leaving, he did an interview for the Kentucky Derby Museum and got

choked up describing the experience of winning Kentucky Derby 137.

"Two days later, it is still surreal," said Motion, who will turn 47 on the

day after the May 21 Preakness S. (G1). "I had thought about it (winning the Kentucky Derby).

There is not a trainer that doesn't think about it. I just didn't think it would

happen at this stage of my career."