Quality wins by Animal Kingdom 2YOs
As Arrowfield prepares to welcome Animal Kingdom back for the 2017 season, excitement is growing about his future as a sire, thanks to six first-crop winners in Australia and two, including a Listed winner, in the United States.
His latest winners, one in each hemisphere in the past week, have advertised his prospects with quality maiden victories for leading stables.
The second day of Saratoga’s famous Summer Meet, on 22 July, brought up Animal Kngdom’s second winner from his first five US runners. 2YO colt Untamed Domain joined Animal Kingdom’s Australian daughter Earth Angel as a TDN Rising Star when he overcame a mid-race hold-up to power home for a stylish win over 8.5 furlongs on turf.
Watch Untamed Domain win at Saratoga. (courtesy of TDN)
Fourth at his debut on 2 July, Untamed Domain is in the care of his sire’s trainer, Graham Motion and is raced by West Point Thoroughbreds, which purchased him from the 2016 Keeneland September Sale for $US90,000.
Motion, who visited Australia in January 2016 to see Animal Kingdom’s first yearlings sold at Magic Millions, said, “I’m so impressed with Untamed Domain who got stopped in his tracks three furlongs out and won for fun.
“He showed his Dad’s turn of foot and seems to have his calm demeanour. I hope to run him back in the Grade 3 With Anticipation later in the meet which is a prep for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.”
The $US150,000 With Anticipation Stakes G3, also run over 8.5 furlongs on turf, will be held on Wednesday 30 August.
Untamed Domain’s stakes-winning dam Ciao (by Roberto’s son Lear Fan) is descended from French Group 1 winner Smuggly whose daughters have been successful producers in Japan, South Africa and Brazil as well as North America.
Animal Kingdom has already sired his first US stakeswinner, the Ken McPeek-trained filly Sunny Skies who followed up her April debut win with success in the Debutante S. LR at Churchill Downs on 30 June.
Godolphin’s 2YO gelding Animalia tackled 1600 metres at Gosford on 20 July and gave those who backed him into favouritism no worries at all as he began sharply, took an easy sit behind Dashing Special and sprinted clear to win by 7.5 lengths.
Watch Animalia win at Gosford.
Animalia is the sixth winner left by Royal Ascot stakeswinner Hold To Ransom (by Red Ransom), already the dam of Group winner Retrieve and Listed winners Reparations & Abduction. This is also the family of Prince Bishop who, like Animal Kingdom, won the Dubai World Cup G1.
Animal Kingdom’s other Australian winners this season include Flemington winner Royal Phoenix, Earth Angel (also fourth in the ATC Fernhill S. LR), and Group 3-placed Lord Cecil.
