Trainer Graham Motion had already loaded Lucky Chappy onto a Dubai-bound
plane for a start in the UAE Derby (G1) on March 31 and was preparing
for the departure of Howe Great and Went the Day Well to Kentucky for
their respective starts in major preps for this year’s Kentucky Derby.
The flurry of activity surrounding his talented 3-year-olds at Palm
Meadows Training Center could be viewed as a symptom of a bad case of
Derby Fever to anyone unaware of the 47-year-old conditioner’s patient
and somewhat conservative training program.
Motion achieved every trainer’s career goal last year when he saddled
Animal Kingdom for an upset victory in the Kentucky Derby (G1).
“Just because we won it last year, I don’t think we’re any more pushing
to get there,” he said. “If anything, it makes it easier because having
won the race – which I never imagined I would do at this stage of my
career – maybe I’m a little less (anxious). I want to be there for the
right reasons.”
Animal Kingdom was a late-developing colt, who finished second in a
turf allowance race at Gulfstream before earning a trip to Churchill
Downs with an upset victory in the Spiral (G3) at Turfway Park.
“I just don’t want to get carried away trying to get back there. I
don’t want to change my philosophy. Last year, we were adamant that the
horses had to get us there, and Animal Kingdom took us there,” said
Motion, who saddled Animal Kingdom for Barry Irwin’s Team Valor
International. “Barry was very much on the same page. I think it’s going
to be the same this year. Neither one of us is going to be all out to
run in the Derby. The horses will have to show us they belong.”
Went the Day Well will have his opportunity Saturday to show that he
belongs in the Derby over Turfway Park’s Polytrack surface in the
$500,000 Spiral. Unlike Animal Kingdom, who scored by nearly three
lengths in the 2011 Spiral, Went the Day Well has proved himself on
dirt, having broken his maiden over Gulfstream’s main track on March 3.
“If he runs well in the Spiral, he obviously handles the dirt,” Motion said.
Howe Great broke his maiden on dirt at Parx before blossoming this
winter on Gulfstream Park’s turf course, over which he captured the
Kitten’s Joy Stakes on Jan. 21 and the Palm Beach (G3) on March 11. Howe
Great will switch over to Keeneland’s Polytrack in the $750,000 Blue
Grass (G1).
“I think, ultimately he’ll prefer the grass, but I wouldn’t totally
rule out another shot on dirt, depending on how he runs in the Blue
Grass,” Motion said. “Howe Great, if he runs well in the Blue Grass,
we’ll take the angle we took with Animal Kingdom. He’d have to go to
Churchill to work and see how he handled it.”
Motion didn’t commit Animal Kingdom to the Derby until the son of
Leroidesanimaux sparkled in the workout over the Churchill strip during
Derby week.
Lucky Chappy, who finished second behind Howe Great in the Kitten’s Joy
before flying cross-country to be nosed out by Daddy Nose Best in the
El Camino Real Derby (G3) at Golden Gate Fields, is the most experienced
of Motion’s 3-year-olds. After starting his career with three races in
Italy, he finished third in the Bourbon (G3) and fourth in the Breeders’
Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) last year.
Should the Irish-bred colt run well in the UAE Derby over the synthetic
surface at Meydan, would Motion run his well-traveled colt in the
Kentucky Derby?
“Never say, ‘never,’ right? It would seem unlikely, but I wouldn’t totally rule it out,” Motion said.
Meanwhile, Animal Kingdom’s scheduled trip for the $10 million Dubai
World Cup was cancelled when a stress fracture was discovered in his
left hind leg. The injury won’t require surgery, but will keep the Derby
winner out of training for 90 days.
“He walks a couple of turns at the end of the morning every day. He’ll
ship up with my horses to Fair Hill around the 6th or 7th of April,”
Motion said. “The plan is 90 days. We’ll reevaluate when we get back to
Fair Hill. Dean Richardson of New Bolton will do another bone scan on
him. From there we’ll know where we stand, but 90 days is the normal
recovery period.”
Animal Kingdom raised his trainer’s expectations for a successful 2012
campaign with a sharp two-length victory in a turf allowance at
Gulfstream Park on Feb. 18. It was his first start since undergoing
surgery for an unrelated injury in his left hind leg last June.
“It’s quite a common injury and something he should get over, but it
doesn’t make it any less disappointing when you come this far, and he
came out of his race so good,” Motion said.