It was a day that gave off a rather powerful sensation of deja vu. In two races, at opposite ends of the country, the sight of a strong effort by a horse in familiar red and green silks brought back memories of the past while sparking visions of what awaits us in the not-too-distant future.
It all started Saturday afternoon when 2011 Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom returned to the races for the first time since suffering a fractured leg in the Belmont Stakes.
There wasn’t much suspense surrounding the Team Valor International colt’s two-length win at Gulfstream on the turf. A Classic winner vs. allowance horses isn’t much of a contest on paper.
Yet after more than six months on the sidelines, Animal Kingdom made a highly professional return to the races. He won comfortably, striding out through the stretch run in a manner that bodes well for his chances when he faces significantly better competition in the months ahead.
Winning on grass for the first time also reinforced his unusual versatility as he now owns victories on dirt, grass and synthetics.
The $10 million Dubai World Cup on March 31 over a Tapeta synthetic surface is next for him, and the presence of a Kentucky Derby winner in the field promises to make it the most eagerly awaited edition of the race – at least in this part of the world.
A few hours after Animal Kingdom raised the level of excitement about the 2012 racing season, on the West Coast another Team Valor runner was making some noise of his own.
The El Camino Real Derby is hardly a major stepping stone to victory in the Kentucky Derby, but after last year’s Triple Crown anything’s possible.
Daddy Nose Best took the El Camino Real by, what else, a rather scant nose, finishing just ahead of Team Valor’s Lucky Chappy. Though Daddy Nose Best wound up in the winner’s circle, Lucky Chappy might have been best as he got off to a slow start and was forced to rally 6 wide on the final turn, conceding an acre of ground to the winner.
For Lucky Chappy, the race marked his first start on a surface other than grass, though he’s still untested on dirt as Golden Gate has a Tapeta surface.
He’ll most likely join Animal Kingdom in the Middle East, running next in the UAE Derby, which is also scheduled for March 31. After that, if all goes well, he might be ready for a rather important dirt race at Churchill Downs.
It will be a highly difficult spot for a dirt debut, but before anyone dismisses Lucky Chappy, let’s not forget that his stablemate, Animal Kingdom, had never raced on dirt before the first Saturday in May.
Since synthetic surfaces have generally been kind to turf horses, it seemed natural at one time to discount Derby contenders who excel on synthetics or grass. Animal Kingdom showed a win on Polytrack (in the Spiral) can be a springboard to capturing the Run for the Roses, but it remains to be seen if we’ll see an encore this year, next year or not until 2020.
He was, after all, the first to do it.
Being a son of Leroidesanimaux, the 2005 male turf champion, made Animal Kingdom’s success on dirt even more surprising. Lucky Chappy is by High Chapperal, a two-time winner of the Breeders’ Cup Turf, and he also has a pedigree that’s loaded with turf. He doesn’t look like a horse who will thrive on dirt, but that has to be said with slightly less conviction this year.
Déjà vu, of all things, should remind us of the startling events that can take place under the shadows of the Twin Spires.
And what are your thoughts? Does Team Valor have another serious Derby candidate? Is Animal Kingdom ready for a huge year and a big effort in Dubai? Did you experience déjà vu all over again?
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