Animal Kingdom a go for the Belmont Animal Kingdom, the Kentucky Derby winner, will definitely run in the $1 million Belmont Stakes on June 11, trainer Graham Motion confirmed on Friday.
"We feel like we're definitely going as long as the horse is good," Motion said Friday. "We want to be there. The horse seems to be doing really good. I'm so pleased with how he bounced out of it the last couple of days. All systems go."
Animal Kingdom, who was beaten one-half length by Shackleford in the Preakness, jogged 1 1/2 miles over the dirt surface at the Fair Hill Training Center in northeast Maryland on Friday. Motion said that Animal Kingdom would likely jog again on Saturday and that he may start galloping on Sunday.
Motion said that he has yet to decide when he would ship Animal Kingdom to New York. If he wants to breeze the horse at Belmont, he would likely come a week out. If he opts not to breeze Animal Kingdom there, then it would most likely be two or three days before the race.
Motion also mentioned that a 2-year-old half-brother to Shackleford arrived at his Fair Hill barn Friday. The horse, owned by My Meadowview Farm, is by A.P. Indy.
"If you can't beat 'em, join 'em," Motion quipped.
In other Belmont news, Ruler On Ice worked five furlongs in 1:00 at Monmouth Park in company with Nacho Friend and is being pointed to the race.
"As of now we are pointing towards it," Breen said. "He breezed fabulous."
Monzon, who finished sixth in the Peter Pan, is also being pointed to the Belmont, trainer Ignacio Correas IV said Friday.