Kingdom favored

Special to the Vindicator

Photo

Canfield’s Bruce Zoldan, far right, stands with, from left, Barry Irwin, Kathy Irwin and Animal Kingdom trainer Graham Motion after Wednesday’s post drawing for Saturday’s Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore. Irwin owns Team Valor which owns the Kentucky Derby winner. Zoldan is one of the Team Valor investors.

The Kentucky Derby winner has 2-1 odds to capture the second jewel in the Triple Crown

Associated Press

BALTIMORE

Things are falling nicely into place for Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom.

He’s training in the Maryland countryside, he’s been made the early 2-1 favorite for the Preakness Stakes and he drew a decent post for Saturday’s race.

“It’s great. I couldn’t be happier,” trainer Graham Motion said after his colt landed in the No. 11 post on Wednesday.

A full field of 14 is set for the 13/16-mile Preakness at Pimlico, located about 60 miles from Fair Hill Training Center, where Animal Kingdom will be until the morning of the race.

It will be the first time since 2005 that 14 horses are set to run in the second leg of the Triple Crown series. That’s five fewer horses than ran in the Derby, where the far outside post was a much bigger concern than it will be in the Preakness.

“I would just rather be on the outside than stuck down on the inside. I was a little worried when 1 and 14 were still left,” Motion said. “It would not have been the end of the world, but I much prefer to be in the middle to the outside, where I am.”

Just two winners since 1926 have come out of the No. 11 post, the last being Point Given trained by Bob Baffert in 2001.

Seventy favorites have won in the previous 135 runnings, including 2009 champion Rachel Alexandra and Big Brown, who was the 1-5 favorite in 2008.

“Now we’re a pretty solid favorite. It feels great,” said Barry Irwin, who represents the 20 people who own Animal Kingdom under the partnership of Team Valor International. Youngstown businessman Bruce Zoldan is one of the Team Valor partners.

Velazquez is keeping his mount on Animal Kingdom after replacing injured Robby Albarado the day before the Derby. Albarado picked up a Preakness mount with King Congie.

Dialed In, the beaten Derby favorite, is the 9-2 second choice of Pimlico oddsmaker Frank Carulli. The colt drew the No. 10 post Wednesday. Dialed In finished eighth in the Derby nearly two weeks ago.

“I don’t think it matters with him because of his style of running,” trainer Nick Zito said about Dialed In’s post. “Would I want a 14? Probably not. But 10 will be fine.”

If Dialed In wins the Preakness, he is eligible for a $5.5 million payday in addition to the $600,000 winner’s share. The majority of that would go to owner Robert LaPenta, while Zito would receive $500,000.

The bonus is the result of Dialed In’s earlier victories in the Holy Bull Stakes and the Florida Derby. It is offered by MI Developments Inc., which owns Pimlico and Gulfstream.

Mucho Macho Man, third in the Derby for trainer Kathy Ritvo, is the 6-1 third choice and will break from the No. 9 post.

“Don’t know that we could have drawn it up any better, based on the horses that are on the inside of us and the horses that are on the outside of us,” said Dean Reeves, who co-owns Mucho Macho Man.