Animal Kingdom Drills His Final Workout for the Belmont Stakes; Nehro Cruises

If there was any doubt in anybody’s mind on whether Animal Kingdom was ready for the Belmont Stakes, after his workout today, there should be absolutely none. Animal Kingdom, with jockey John Velazquez aboard, drilled a half-mile in 47.76 seconds over the Belmont Main track earlier this morning.

The workout was the fastest of 32 workouts at the four furlong distance. He worked in company of Corredor Dela Isla, another horse that like Animal Kingdom is owned by Team Valor international and trained by Graham Motion.

The fractions for the workout were clocked at 12.12 for the first furlong, and 23.78 for the quarter mile. He then proceeded to gallop out five furlongs in 1:00.45 and pulled up at the six furlong mark at 1:14.20.

Animal Kingdom broke just behind of his workout partner. Shortly after, jockey John Velazquez had to move Animal Kingdom to the outside of his workout partner, because Animal kingdom had caught up to him  quickly and pulled even at the first quarter mark.

They proceeded to continue to run together on even terms to the wire, although Animal Kingdom was doing it far easier. After the wire, Animal Kingdom pulled away and drew clear to finish the workout at the six furlong mark.

What makes Animal Kingdom’s workout impressive is the way that he did it, which according to his jockey John Velazquez, the horse “did it on his own.” He seems to have settled well on this track, which marks the seventh different track that Animal Kingdom will run in. He has run in different tracks for each of his six starts, in which he sports a 3-3-0 record.

Another Belmont contender, Nehro, who arrived second in the Kentucky Derby and skipped the Preakness, also worked on Monday. He cruised along through his half mile workout in 50.88, in what was 29^th out of 32 workouts. Judging for the time and the way the workout went, the workout could be as merely a maintenance one.

With exercise rider Cesar Garcia aboard, Nehro’s fraction for the first quarter-mile was clocked at 26.24, which according to his final time, tells you he was asked to pick up the pace a bit for the second quarter, which went in 24.64. He pulled up at the five furlong mark in 1:03.97.

Both horses, who are top contenders for the Belmont Stakes crown this Saturday, have completed the workout preparations part of their training and for the rest of the week they should just either gallop or jog around the track. They both seem to be more than ready for the race.