The connections behind Animal Kingdom say their Kentucky Derby winner is better than ever after his comfortable victory in America on Saturday night in preparation for a run in the Dubai World Cup.
Animal Kingdom secured an easy two-length success in a claiming race over eight and a half furlongs on his first run since suffering an injury in the Group 1 Belmont Stakes in June.
The four-year-old colt was pushed wide on the left-hand bend of Gulfstream Park in Florida but answered immediately to the urgings of jockey his John Velazquez to finish the final half a furlong in 5.65 seconds. "The second I started kissing at him in the stretch, he picked right up and took off," Velazquez said. "It was a great feeling today and great to have him back. He felt as good as ever."
Barry Irwin, the chief executive to the owners Team Valor, highlighted that the fluid nature of the win left a lot to work on before the horse's date at Meydan Racecourse on March 31.
"All we were worried about was having him run too big," he said. "We didn't want to see a big race and have him leave it on the track. He's much better now than he was last year, we can tell by the way he trains and the way he looks."
The last horse to win the Kentucky Derby and then the Dubai World Cup was Silver Charm in 1998.
sports@thenational.ae
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Biog
Mr Kandhari is legally authorised to conduct marriages in the gurdwara
He has officiated weddings of Sikhs and people of different faiths from Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Russia, the US and Canada
Father of two sons, grandfather of six
Plays golf once a week
Enjoys trying new holiday destinations with his wife and family
Walks for an hour every morning
Completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Loyola College, Chennai, India
2019 is a milestone because he completes 50 years in business
Fixtures
Opening day Premier League fixtures for August 9-11
August 9
Liverpool v Norwich 11pm
August 10
West Ham v Man City 3.30pm
Bournemouth v Sheffield Utd 6pm
Burnley v Southampton 6pm
C Palace v Everton 6pm
Leicester v Wolves 6pm
Watford v Brighton 6pm
Tottenham v Aston Villa 8.30pm
August 11
Newcastle v Arsenal 5pm
Man United v Chelsea 7.30pm
SHAITTAN
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Test series fixtures
(All matches start at 2pm UAE)
1st Test Lord's, London from Thursday to Monday
2nd Test Nottingham from July 14-18
3rd Test The Oval, London from July 27-31
4th Test Manchester from August 4-8
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
