Belmont Stakes 2011: Why Animal Kingdom Needs to Run in (And Win) the Belmont

While the disappointment of no potential Triple Crown winner still casts a shadow over the Belmont Stakes on June 11, the potential for a matchup between the winners of the first two legs is still a possibility that may revive the Belmont’s chances of being a premiere race this year.

But while Preakness winner Shackleford is likely to appear in the race if he trains well, there are still doubts that Derby winner Animal Kingdom will make an appearance in the third leg of the Triple Crown which may be a big mistake.

First, a rivalry between Shackleford and Animal Kingdom would bolster the sport this year and possibly in the future if the two race as older horses. The sport has very few on track rivalries in this era when horses are quickly hustled to the breeding shed or dodge each other all season.

While we did have the epic off track rivalry of Zenyatta and Rachel Alexandra (a rivalry that unfortunately was never taken on the track), a rivalry between two horses that should see each other quite a few times this year would be nice and may even bring more fans into the sport.

Combine that with the two horses each trying to win the third leg of the Triple Crown and possibly even the Breeder’s Cup Classic and you have the makings of something to watch as the season progresses.

Second, Animal Kingdom needs to be in it to win it. Animal Kingdom brings interesting breeding to the table that can only help the American thoroughbred. While grandsire Candy Stripes is represented here by champion Invasor and others, Animal Kingdom’s damside is where it gets interesting.

Yes, it is a turf pedigree but it brings in stamina that you just don’t see in today’s thoroughbred that can only improve the routers in America.

But while Animal Kingdom is a Kentucky Derby winner and has a pretty good record up to this point, he needs more classic wins for breeders to really take notice of him since his pedigree isn’t all that commercial.

Two wins in the Triple Crown races plus a second in the third leg will make him more noticeable and should bring in a healthy number of good mares. By skipping out on the Belmont, he loses that extra note on his record and has to work harder in the summer and fall to appeal to more people.

His breeding leads to the third point which is that he is bred for the race. It is true that his sire is a turf miler, but his grandsire is the sire of Invasor who was fine at routes (winning the G1 Breeder’s Cup Classic and other big route races during his career), Different (who was third in the G1 Breeder’s Cup Distaff, etc), and other stakes-winning routers which shows Animal Kingdom has routing potential on the top side in addition to the bottom side of his pedigree.

Animal Kingdom’s dam Dalicia won stakes races at a mile and a quarter (Derby distance) and at 11 furlongs. His damsire Acatenango won multiple graded stakes races at 2,400 meters or 11.93 furlongs which is almost the Belmont Distance of 12 furlongs (1 ½ miles).  

Daclicia’s damsire won the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe among other graded stakes at a distance, making Animal Kingdom’s damside even stronger on distance than his sire side.

This leads many to believe that the Belmont is the perfect race for him. It was obvious in the Kentucky Derby that he had not reached his distance limit and few others being considered for the Belmont have anywhere near the routing breeding of the colt to contend in the last few furlongs of the race.

The last reason why Animal Kingdom should be in the Belmont is one that shows recent history is not on his side if he hopes to contend for an Eclipse Award this year. 

In the last 10 years, the three-year-old Eclipse honors have gone to the horse that has won the Preakness (nine males and one female) and three horses in this group have also won Horse of the Year during their three-year-old campaign.

If Animal Kingdom wins the Belmont, he should be ahead of the crop for three-year-old honors, even if Shackleford finishes second as Shackleford finished fourth in the Derby. If the chestnut wins the Belmont then goes on to do well in summer and fall races, he should be the winner of three-year-old honors and possibly even Horse of the Year.

Of course, Eclipse Awards are based on voting so there is a lot that goes into who wins, but if he wants to break history’s streak, the Belmont is the place to do it.

There are many other reasons Animal Kingdom should make a Belmont appearance if he is able, but the main one outside of the horse is that it would be good for the industry.

Before the Preakness, it was obvious Animal Kingdom had grabbed many fans from outside the racing world and an appearance in the Belmont even after a loss in the Preakness may keep the fans attached to the sport, which is something all of horse racing needs.

It would be a stretch to say that Animal Kingdom can save horse racing, but having him attract and keep fans in the sport is one small step in bringing horse racing back to its former glory.