Derby winner looks sharp in final Belmont workout
June 6, 2011NEW YORK (AP) - Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom has put in a sharp final workout before the Belmont Stakes, with trainer Graham Motion saying ``it couldn't have gone any smoother.''
Animal Kingdom, with jockey John Velazquez aboard, worked four furlongs in 47.76 seconds over the main dirt track at Belmont Park on Monday morning. The 3-year-old colt worked in company with another horse.
Motion says he wanted a four-furlong workout because he figured Animal Kingdom would gallop out strongly for another furlong, which he did.
Velazquez says everything went well, and ``he knew he had a jockey on top of him because he just played with me. He had me at hello.''
Animal Kingdom and Preakness winner Shackleford top a probable field of 12 for Saturday's Belmont.