LOUISVILLE, May 8 (Reuters) - The connections of Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom are almost certain their colt will be given his chance to try and complete the Triple Crown after he pulled up well from his victory in the first leg.
Barry Irwin, the founder of the syndicate that bred and races Animal Kingdom, said he hoped to run the horse in the remaining two legs, the Preakness Stakes on May 21 and the Belmont Stakes on June 11, as long as he stayed fit.
"I'm pretty sure we're going to do it, but I want to talk about it," Irwin told reporters on Sunday.
"I'm a careful guy, so let's see how he's doing. I think if you've got a horse that's amazing, you can go for the Preakness. But your regular, average Derby winner has a real tough time coming back."
Animal Kingdom will return to his home base in Maryland on Tuesday, which is just 60 miles from Pimlico, where the $1 million Preakness will be held.
It has been 33 years since a horse (Affirmed in 1978) won the Triple Crown and three since Big Brown won the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness.
Animal Kingdom was a 20-1 longshot in the Derby but his trainer Graham Motion said he was confident in the ability of his lightly-raced colt, who has now won three of his five career starts.
"He's the whole package, I guess, to use a term that's probably overused," Motion said. "He's got a tremendous disposition and is just a really brilliant horse. He handled everything so well yesterday."
UNFASHIONABLE PEDIGREE
Irwin said he recently sold a share in Animal Kingdom which valued the horse at $2 million but because of his unusual breeding, he has a Brazilian sire and a German dam, he had no idea of his worth after he won the Derby.
"Breeders are very picky, sceptical people and he doesn't have a fashionable pedigree so he's got to become a phenomenal racehorse in order to become worth a whole lot of money," Irwin said.
"If he won the Triple Crown, then there'd be no question. But if he wins just the Preakness, would that make him an automatic hit as a stallion? I don't know."
The owners have still not decided who will ride Animal Kingdom in the Preakness although John Velazquez, a late replacement for the injured Robby Albarado, was expected to retain the ride after Uncle Mo was ruled out of the Preakness and Belmont.
Velazquez was booked to ride Uncle Mo, last year's American champion two-year-old and the early favorite for the Derby, but the horse was scratched because of a mystery stomach ailment and Uncle Mo's trainer Todd Pletcher said he would remain in Kentucky to undergo further testing.
"We've had a lot of good weekends over the years, but this wasn't one of our best. But that's the game," said a reflective Pletcher.
"You've got to accept it and go on. You've got to keep looking forward."
The makeup of the Preakness won't be decided until just a few days before the race but several of the Derby contenders, including runner-up Nehro and third placed Mucho Macho Man, were both possible starters.
Dialed In, which started the Derby as the 5-1 favorite but could only manage eighth place, is a definite starter in the Preakness, trainer Nick Zito said, because the horse is eligible for a $5.5 million bonus after winning the Holy Bull Stakes and Florida Derby.
"I spoke to Bob (owner Robert LaPenta) and went over everything. He's determined," Zito said.
"He's built this house and it's only half done, so we have to finish the job. He wants to do it, and it's good enough for me."
Barry Irwin, the founder of the syndicate that bred and races Animal Kingdom, said he hoped to run the horse in the remaining two legs, the Preakness Stakes on May 21 and the Belmont Stakes on June 11, as long as he stayed fit.
"I'm pretty sure we're going to do it, but I want to talk about it," Irwin told reporters on Sunday.
"I'm a careful guy, so let's see how he's doing. I think if you've got a horse that's amazing, you can go for the Preakness. But your regular, average Derby winner has a real tough time coming back."
Animal Kingdom will return to his home base in Maryland on Tuesday, which is just 60 miles from Pimlico, where the $1 million Preakness will be held.
It has been 33 years since a horse (Affirmed in 1978) won the Triple Crown and three since Big Brown won the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness.
Animal Kingdom was a 20-1 longshot in the Derby but his trainer Graham Motion said he was confident in the ability of his lightly-raced colt, who has now won three of his five career starts.
"He's the whole package, I guess, to use a term that's probably overused," Motion said. "He's got a tremendous disposition and is just a really brilliant horse. He handled everything so well yesterday."
UNFASHIONABLE PEDIGREE
Irwin said he recently sold a share in Animal Kingdom which valued the horse at $2 million but because of his unusual breeding, he has a Brazilian sire and a German dam, he had no idea of his worth after he won the Derby.
"Breeders are very picky, sceptical people and he doesn't have a fashionable pedigree so he's got to become a phenomenal racehorse in order to become worth a whole lot of money," Irwin said.
"If he won the Triple Crown, then there'd be no question. But if he wins just the Preakness, would that make him an automatic hit as a stallion? I don't know."
The owners have still not decided who will ride Animal Kingdom in the Preakness although John Velazquez, a late replacement for the injured Robby Albarado, was expected to retain the ride after Uncle Mo was ruled out of the Preakness and Belmont.
Velazquez was booked to ride Uncle Mo, last year's American champion two-year-old and the early favorite for the Derby, but the horse was scratched because of a mystery stomach ailment and Uncle Mo's trainer Todd Pletcher said he would remain in Kentucky to undergo further testing.
"We've had a lot of good weekends over the years, but this wasn't one of our best. But that's the game," said a reflective Pletcher.
"You've got to accept it and go on. You've got to keep looking forward."
The makeup of the Preakness won't be decided until just a few days before the race but several of the Derby contenders, including runner-up Nehro and third placed Mucho Macho Man, were both possible starters.
Dialed In, which started the Derby as the 5-1 favorite but could only manage eighth place, is a definite starter in the Preakness, trainer Nick Zito said, because the horse is eligible for a $5.5 million bonus after winning the Holy Bull Stakes and Florida Derby.
"I spoke to Bob (owner Robert LaPenta) and went over everything. He's determined," Zito said.
"He's built this house and it's only half done, so we have to finish the job. He wants to do it, and it's good enough for me."
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