Preakness Preview

Animal Kingdom seems to be on his way to the Preakness with jockey Johnny Velasquez set to ride, assuming all goes according to plan. Which as we already know is not always the case in this sport.

In any event, according to the Thoroughbred Times, Animal Kingdom is going to return to the track at Fair Hill, where trainer Graham Motion is based, and that return could come as early as Wednesday. Fair Hill's training track is synthetic, a surface that suits both horse and trainer. According to Barry Irwin, spokesperson for the investor team that owns Animal Kingdom, "Graham is confident training on a synthetic surface."

As for trainer Motion, well he normally would not work a horse expected to race in two weeks. "But this isn't a normal situation," he admitted.

What is interesting is the difference in opinions between owner and trainer regarding the horse's ability to recoup and race again in two weeks. Irwin "really wants to think about it" and Motion says, "if he is physically fine, we're going."

So Wednesday could be shades of Barbaro, with press camped out track side at bucolic Fair Hill to see if they can discern Animal Kingdom's physical state. Luckily Fair Hill has proved it knows how to handle hordes as well as horses and Motion can always walk over to Michael Matz's barn and get a few pointers.

It is eerie, isn't it? Another Kentucky Derby winner leaves from Fair Hill for the Preakness. We all know how the first one ended, but I have a feeling this one may take an entirely different route.

So far, other contenders for the Preakness are Mucho Macho man, who finished third in the Derby, Shackleford, who finished fourth and Dialed In who finished eighth. The field will fluctuate a lot in the next two weeks so it is probably a better idea to focus on one day at a time.

Which is exactly what Graham Motion is going to be doing.