It was all Animal Kingdom running down the stretch in the 2013 Dubai World Cup! Looking like he did when he won the 2011 Kentucky Derby, Animal Kingdom seemed to pull away from the field in the stretch and hit the wire alone in this $10 million race. Animal Kingdom is trained by H. Graham Motion, owned by Team Valor International and Arrowfield Stud. He was ridden by jockey Joel Rosario.

Watching the stretch run of the race, trainer H. Graham Motion was very stoic as his family around him screamed and hugged him. But there was no denying his excitement as Animal Kingdom hit the wire in front in the world’s richest race! The smile gave it away!

It was not an easy road to the 2013 Dubai World Cup for Animal Kingdom. Ever winning the Dubai World Cup looked almost impossible for Animal Kingdom. Surgery sidelined Animal Kingdom after the 2011 Belmont Stakes, when he had surgery to repair a hairline fracture of his left hock. Then last March, while training for the 2012 World Cup, he suffered an injury that kept him out of racing until this year.

But nothing could deny Animal Kingdom his win!

Animal Kingdom is not the only Kentucky Derby winner to win the Dubai World Cup. There have been two Kentucky Derby winners that went on to win the Dubai World Cup. 1997 Kentucky Derby winner Silver Charm won the Dubai World Cup in 1998. Silver Charm was owned by Mike Pegram and trained by Bob Baffert.

Kentucky Derby Tours participants last year, attended the Kentucky Derby Trainers Dinner in Louisville and saw H. Graham Motion being honored for his 2011 Kentucky Derby win. Each year, the Trainers Dinner honors the trainer that wins the prior Kentucky Derby.

John Messara’s Arrowfield Stud acquired a majority interest in the breeding rights to Animal Kingdom late last year. The 2011 Kentucky Derby winner and Champion 3-year-old Male will begin his stud career in Australia next September and likely shuttle to the Northern Hemisphere beginning in 2014.

There had been talk of Animal Kingdom being flown from Dubai to England and considered for an additional start, possibly at Royal Ascot in June.

So we will have to wait and see what is in store for Animal Kingdom!