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Animal Kingdom eyes Belmont

The connections of Animal Kingdom still want to run their colt in next month’s final leg of the Triple Crown after their hopes of completing the elusive treble were cruelly dashed.

A surprise winner of the Kentucky Derby winner two weeks ago, Animal Kingdom showed his victory at Churchill Downs was no fluke when he produced another brilliant late charge in Saturday’s Preakness Stakes, the middle jewel of the series.

After settling second last in the 14-horse field, Animal Kingdom had to do it the hard way, weaving his way through heavy traffic while dirt was being kicked into his face.

But his brave effort ultimately proved futile when he came up just short and finished second, just half a length behind the winner Shackleford.

“It’s tough to come that close but he ran a huge race,” Animal Kingdom’s trainer Graham Motion said.

“If it wasn’t for the fact that it was the Triple Crown, you’d be thrilled that he ran so well.

“I cannot believe he got that close. I’m not sure what is better — if we were that close or to be beaten further.”

A victory in the Preakness would have given the lightly raced Animal Kingdom the chance to become just the 12^th horse to win the Triple Crown and the first since Affirmed in 1978.

Despite his disappointment, Motion said he still wanted to push ahead with plans to run the three-year-old in the final leg, the June 11 Belmont Stakes, over a mile and a half, the longest of the three classics.

“Shoot, we won the Derby and we just got beat in the Preakness. I would love to win a Triple Crown, as much as for me as for everybody else,” the English-born trainer said.

“There is so much pressure to do it because it would be so good for the game, but it wasn’t meant to be.

“The (Belmont) definitely will be a possibility as long as he’s OK...he’s got two really tough races but if he comes out of this the way he came out of the Derby, I don’t know why we wouldn’t have a shot.

Jockey John Velazquez was left cursing his bad luck after coming agonizingly close to winning but was full of praise for the horse’s performance.

“We were just too far back. When I wanted him to go, he got dirt kicked in his face. So then I had to pull him farther back than I wanted him to be,” Velazquez said.

“By the time I had the chance to go, he was coming, but it was too late. He came out of the race great. Unfortunately, this is part of the business.”