Breeders' Cup Mile next for Animal Kingdom

By: SPORTS NETWORK

Elkton, MD (Sports Network) - Eclipse Award champion Animal Kingdom will return to the races in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Mile at Santa Anita Park on Saturday, Nov. 3. It will be his first start since winning on grass at Gulfstream Park on Feb. 18.

"Coming off the layoff, the Mile just seems very logical for him," said trainer Graham Motion. "He certainly has the turn of foot to handle it. The timing is right for his schedule coming back, and the caliber of horse that he is, you're not going to look for a nice, easy spot. It's a totally different situation than last winter when we ran him in the Gulfstream allowance to get ready for the Dubai World Cup. Going a mile, we feel he should be very fit for this race, and he deserves the opportunity."

Owned by Team Valor, Animal Kingdom developed a stress fracture of the illium three weeks after his Gulfstream race. The injury kept him out of the $10 million Dubai World Cup in March.

The colt did not need surgery and after 30 days of stall rest. Animal Kingdom resumed training in June and began breezing on August 21.

The 4-year-old won last year's Kentucky Derby and was second to Shackleford in the Preakness Stakes. After finishing sixth to Ruler On Ice in the Belmont Stakes, the colt was taken out of training for the remainder of 2011.