as far as we are all concerned.  For whatever reason the stars were not aligned today. Animal Kingdom usually breaks a step slow but today he broke with the field and drawn on the outside it gave him a load of daylight to look at, a mile of green grass stretching into the distance.  Wearing blinkers too, he could really focus on that!  Not being able to be covered up and relax made him very strong for John Velazquez, and that is tiring in itself.  There could have been any number of variables to contend with that Animal Kingdom came across today that he wasn’t used to but the main thing is, he’s safe and back home in his box in Upper Lambourn. 

It appears since Dubai he’s been getting very interested in the women.  Msybe his focus in life has changed now he’s an older horse!

He’s been a terrific horse for everyone at Herringswell Stables to be connected with and as Graham has said “We’ll never have another like him.”  Thanks AK.

Joe Drape’s very nice report in the New York Times