Animal Kingdom colt impresses in Guineas

“Drew 11, jumped well but kept wide the whole way, found plenty at the top of the straight and challenged the leader before the winner caught and bested him in the final stages.” 

That’s a fair description of Peaceful State’s heady effort, at only his third start, to finish second in Saturday’s $250,000 Sandown Guineas 1600m G2, a head behind the impressive winner Villermont with the consistent Black Sail third.  

Watch Peaceful State’s 2nd in the MRC Sandown Guineas G2.

Peaceful State is Animal Kingdom’s second Australian Group performer after last season’s 2YO Lord Cecil and he looks capable of further improvement through his 3YO season. 

Such progress is predicted by both sides of Peaceful State’s pedigree. Animal Kingdom won the Kentucky Derby and went on to run second in the Breeders’ Cup Mile at four before delivering a memorable Dubai World Cup victory in his final season. 

Peaceful State’s champion half-brother Weekend Hussler was a six-time Group 1 winner at three, securing the 2008 Australian Horse of the Year title, and adding three more Group wins as a 4YO, including the Underwood S. G1.

Peaceful State is the last foal of Weekend Beauty, bred by Arrowfield’s partnership with Katsumi Yoshida’s Northern Farm. The colt was raised at Arrowfield, and races in Mr Yoshida’s famous red, yellow and black colours from the stable of Darren Weir. 

It’s been a good month for Animal Kingdom, also sire of  US Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf G1 runner-up Untamed Domain on 3 November, last week’s stylish 2YO trial winner Wild Planet (ex Salutations by Redoute’s Choice), his eighth & ninth US first-crop winners Motatan and Island Getaway, and his sixth overall stakes performer, Grace and Dignity in Canada on Sunday.

Magic Millions has catalogued a dozen lots by Animal Kingdom for the 2018 Gold Coast Yearling Sale, including six colts and 4 fillies in the Arrowfield draft. He also has a colt out of Only Roses (Redoute’s Choice) on offer at New Zealand Bloodstock’s Ready To Run Sale, which begins on Wednesday.