Half-brother to Animal Kingdom born in Japan
A half-brother to Kentucky Derby and Dubai World Cup winner Animal Kingdom was foaled April 10 at Shadai Farm on the island of Hokkaido, Japan.
The new colt, by Shadai stallion and Japanese racing legend Deep Impact, is out of the Group 3-winning Acatenango mare Dalicia, who Shadai purchased for 230,000 guineas (about $395,000) at the 2009 Tattersalls December sale.
Animal Kingdom is the only winner from three starters out of Dalicia to date. The Leroidesanimaux horse won the Kentucky Derby, along with the Grade 3 Spiral Stakes, in 2011 to earn the Eclipse Award as champion 3-year-old male. Although his 2012 season was derailed by injury, he returned from a layoff of nearly nine months to finish a fast-closing second to eventual Horse of the Year Wise Dan in the Breeders’ Cup Mile.
This year, Animal Kingdom finished second in the Grade 1 Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap before scoring an impressive win in the $10-million Dubai World Cup, becoming the first American-based horse to win the event since it was moved to Meydan Racecourse, which features a synthetic Tapeta Footings surface, in 2010. The victory, Animal Kingdom’s fifth from 11 career starts, sent his earnings to $8,387,500.
Animal Kingdom, who could conclude his career with a June start at the famed Royal Ascot meeting in England, will enter stud for the 2013 Southern Hemisphere season at John Messara’s Arrowfield Stud near Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. He will shuttle to stand the Northern Hemisphere season at Darley’s Jonabell Farm in Lexington, Ky.
Dalicia is a half-sister to Darwinia, dam of Grade 2 winner Daveron. It is the family of Group 2 winner Diacada, Group 3 winner Desidera, and stakes winner Diable.
Japanese Triple Crown winner Deep Impact, a two-time Horse of the Year in his home country, has now developed into a leading sire. From his first three crops to race, the son of Sunday Silence has produced 31 stakes winners, including Horse of the Year Gentildonna and champion Joie de Vivre.