Animal Kingdom’s efforts not being given due acknowledgement for the Eclipse Award
The race for the Eclipse Award seems to have slowed down a bit for Animal Kingdom as according to his trainer, Graham Motion, his three-year-colt is being sidelined due to the lime light that is being shed on the other candidates like Caleb’s Posse, Shackleford
and Ruler on Ice.
Animal Kingdom’s injury perhaps has cooled down the passion of the voters to consider him as a deserving candidate for the Eclipse Award.
This also has seized the chances for Animal Kingdom to add victories or further races to his record which the other contestants have been able to do throughout the season specially Ruler on Ice, who still has a bright chance of shining at the Grade 1 Clark
Handicap on 25th November.
“It’s been a frustrating position to be in not to be able to do anything about it. Unfortunately, he was a victim of what happened in the Belmont, which wasn’t really his fault,” Motion said. “And then with the injury, it’s just been a very odd situation
to be in to have to watch all of these other horses running and kind of beating each other”.
It should be held in mind that Animal Kingdom is the only horse who has been able to win the Kentucky Derby Grade 1 which was his very first time at dirt, equivalent to accomplishing impossibility.
Even this he achieved quite very impressively by 2 ¾ lengths, a spectacle that he displayed in the race prior to the Kentucky, the Vinery Racing Spiral Stakes Grade 3, thus, proving his consistency time and again.
Animal Kingdom’s attempt at Belmont Stakes Grade 1 on 11th June at Belmont Park was not a small deal, as even after sustaining a critical injury he was able to finish sixth on a field of twelve. This means that despite the injury Animal Kingdom
set six others at a disadvantage who did not even encounter any such issue while racing.
Shackleford got a chance to race four times after June, coming second thrice. Caleb’s Posse raced four times too after June out of which he won at three instances. Similar amount of races go in the favour of Ruler on Ice too but he could not win any that
he ran in.
These horses have proven themselves but that does not really mean that Animal Kingdom’s efforts should just remain as a shadow.
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