Velasquez quote post Animal Kingdom work

[covelj70]

Animal Kingdom worked in company with the claiming horse Corredor Dela Isla, who is also owned by Team Valor. Animal Kingdom started just to the outside of Corredor Dela Isla, and was always going easily throughout.

“He was halfway running off with me,” Velazquez said. “He was very competitive with the other horse inside him. After the work, he galloped out very well. He had me at hello. I didn’t think he’d get that strong going to the pole. I guess he knew a different person was on top of him.”

I don\'t want to get wrapped up in semantics but the word choice of \"run off\" is potentially important here.  That\'s not the kind of work you are looking for here in most circumstances.  I wasn\'t there and I didn\'t have anyone there that was watching it but if I was looking to play a short priced favorite, that comment would make me nervoous.  

Horses that \"run off\" in their works are prime bounce candidates.

[CentaurMythX]

Here\'s the video of the work, with a fair amount of the gallop-out shown at the end.

I\'ll also say that belmontstakes.com has done a decent job in coverage leading up to the race.

[albany]

Cove:


I don\'t understand why horses that \"run off\" are prime bounce candidates. Wouldn\'t it  be just as logical to say that a horse that \"runs off\" or attempts to run off is on edge and is not showing signs that a prior effort has dulled his form?

A viewing of the video of Animal Kingdom\'s work reveals, in my opinion, a horse that was working well within himself. He didn\'t look as if he was trying to run off. Perhaps you are reading too much into Velasquez\' comments. It seems that Motion\'s willingness to work him and the way he handled the work don\'t suggest that Animal Kingdom will bounce.

Albany

[Niall]

The mind tells the eye what to see and the ear what to hear ... I am going to play this race as though AK is the King of all beasts and is just starting to grow up !! The Turfway stake was a workout (hit that Dbl thanks to the ROTW) and paired up in the Derby. No shame in losing to Shak (I am on record here as saying he was the most likely to outrun his odds in the Ky Derby) BTW a friend who was Nazger\'s asst at the time he had Oatsee (shaks dam) said she was as tough a mother there was and that Shak was the spitting image of her. Look it up on Pedigree Query and they could be twins !! Nehro will run like his trainer couldnt train a classic winner unless the work was done by someone else .... Finally, props to Alan for a great segment on Capital OTB TV Sunday !!!

[Boscar Obarra]

If that work show a horse running off I\'ll burn my Kelco Calculator

[Ill-bred]

Yeah, AK looked well within himself in that work.