2011 Kentucky Derby: Animal Kingdom Brings Guts and Glory to Churchill Downs

Could a roller hockey team win the Stanley Cup? Seriously, let's say a team with superior NHL talent played only on pavement, then had one chance to win on ice for their sport's most coveted title. Could they do it? Not a chance, right?

That was my thought when I heard that Animal Kingdom had never run a race on dirt before winning the 137th Kentucky Derby Saturday. Only four career victories before this one, all on the turf. Never even an attempt on dirt. And he did what now?

Maybe it's akin to a golfer finally winning his first tournament ever, only that tournament is the first time he competes at The Masters. You know what you need to do something like that? Fearlessness.

On top of that, Animal Kingdom also had a new man on his back, John Velazquez, who filled in after his original horse, Uncle Mo, scratched Friday.

How does a horse succeed with so many untested and untried circumstances? As his trainer, Graham Motion, continually brought up in the press conference following the race, Animal Kingdom was just "special."

This weekend was the first time I'd ever watched a race on turf. Saturday I got to see the Ram Trucks-sponsored American Turf race up close and personal. It seemed to be a whole other beast.

The horses ran almost awkwardly, appearing to have shorter legs than normal because their hooves dug into the grass. Ultimately the goal is the same (run faster than the other horses), but I couldn't imagine a horse going from competing solely on turf to winning the Kentucky Derby on dirt.

It's fitting that Ram Truck's new slogan of "Guts. Glory. Ram." was everywhere you looked at the Derby, because that's what we got in our winning horse. Guts. And, as a result, glory. Animal Kingdom ran like he belonged. Period.

Now the question becomes, can this fast learner do it again at the Preakness on his new-found quest for the Triple Crown? At this point, I wouldn't put anything past him.