Triple Crown race winners ready for their returns in Florida
All three reigning Triple Crown race winners are scheduled to make their 4-year-old debuts in Florida this month.
Belmont winner Ruler On Ice will face Preakness winner Shackleford in the Grade 1 Donn Handicap this Saturday at Gulfstream Park; both were assigned 119 pounds for the race, two fewer than highweight Flat Out.
Later this month, trainer Graham Motion has tabbed the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Derby on grass on Feb. 25 as the return spot for Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom before he heads to Dubai in March for the World Cup.
Read on to see what these big-name 4-year-olds have been doing to prepare for their 2012 debuts, and look back on their 2011 triumphs.
Animal Kingdom
Graded Stakes Races
| Date | Track | Race | Finish | Chart | Distance | Time | BSF | Video |
| 6/11/11 | BEL | Belmont Stakes | 6th |
 |
1 1/2 mile | 2:30.88 | 89 |
 |
| 5/21/11 | PIM | Preakness | 2nd |
|
1 3/16 mile | 1:56.40 | 103 |
|
| 5/7/11 | CD | Kentucky Derby | 1st |
|
1 1/4 mile | 2:02.00 | 103 |
|
| 3/26/11 | TP | Spiral | 1st |
|
1 1/8 Mile | 1:52.20 | 93 |
|
Workouts
| Horse Name | Date | Track | Dist | Time | Surf | Cond. | B/H | |
| Animal Kingdom | 02/01/2012 | PMM | 5F | :59.61 | Turf | Firm | B | |
| 01/25/2012 | PMM | 5F | :59.80 | Turf | Good | B | ||
| 01/17/2012 | PMM | 4F | :53.44 | Turf | Firm | B | ||
| 01/08/2012 | FAI | 4F | :50.40 | Dirt | Fast | B | ||
| 01/02/2012 | FAI | 4F | :49.00 | Dirt | Fast | B | ||
| 12/24/2011 | FAI | 3F | :38.00 | Dirt | Fast | B |
Ruler On Ice
Graded Stakes Races
| Date | Track | Race | Finish | Chart | Distance | Time | BSF | Video |
| 11/25/11 | CD | Clark Handicap | 5th |
 |
1 1/8 mile | 1:48.95 | 91 |
 |
| 11/5/11 | CD | Breeders Cup Classic | 3rd |
|
1 1/4 mile | 2:04.27 | 100 |
|
| 9/24/11 | PRX | Pennsylvania Derby | 2nd |
|
1 1/8 mile | 1:47.34 | 101 |
|
| 8/27/11 | SAR | Travers | 4th |
|
1 1/4 mile | 2:03:00 | 95 |
|
| 7/31/11 | MTH | Haskell | 3rd |
|
1 1/8 mile | 1:48:20 | 92 |
|
| 6/11/11 | BEL | Belmont Stakes | 1st |
|
1 1/2 mile | 2:30.88 | 100 |
|
| 5/7/11 | PIM | Federico Tesio | 2nd |
|
1 1/16 mile | 1:45.60 | 83 |
|
| 3/27/11 | SUN | Sunland Derby | 3rd |
|
1 1/8 mile | 1:50.80 | 86 |
|
Workouts
| Horse Name | Date | Track | Dist | Time | Surf | Cond. | B/H | |
| Ruler On Ice | 02/05/2012 | PMM | 4F | :50.66 | Dirt | Fast | B | |
| 01/21/2012 | PMM | 4F | :47.03 | Dirt | Fast | B | ||
| 01/14/2012 | PMM | 4F | :47.06 | Dirt | Fast | B | ||
| 01/07/2012 | PMM | 5F | :58.23 | Dirt | Fast | B | ||
| 12/31/2011 | PMM | 4F | :49.23 | Dirt | Fast | B | ||
| 11/18/2011 | CD | 4F | :48.60 | Dirt | Fast | B |
Shackleford
Graded Stakes Races
| Date | Track | Race | Finish | Chart | Distance | Time | BSF | Video |
| 11/5/11 | CD | Breeders Cup Dirt Mile | 2nd |
|
1 mile | 1:34.59 | 103 |
|
| 10/01/11 | HOO | Indiana Derby | 2nd |
|
1 1/16 mile | 1:43:60 | 95 |
|
| 8/27/11 | SAR | Travers | 8th |
|
1 1/4 mile | 2:03:00 | 68 |
|
| 7/31/11 | MTH | Haskell | 2nd |
|
1 1/8 mile | 1:48:20 | 96 |
|
| 6/11/11 | BEL | Belmont Stakes | 5th |
 |
1 1/2 mile | 2:30.88 | 91 |
 |
| 5/21/11 | PIM | Preakness | 1st |
|
1 3/16 mile | 1:56.40 | 104 |
|
| 5/7/11 | CD | Kentucky Derby | 4th |
|
1 1/4 mile | 2:02.00 | 97 |
|
| 4/3/11 | GP | Florida Derby | 2nd |
|
1 1/8 mile | 1:50.00 | 93 |
|
| 2/26/11 | GP | Fountain of Youth | 5th |
|
1 1/8 mile | 1:50.20 | 58 |
|
Workouts
| Horse Name | Date | Track | Dist | Time | Surf | Cond. | B/H | |
| Shackleford | 02/04/2012 | GP | 5F | 1:01.40 | Dirt | Fast | B | |
| 01/28/2012 | GP | 6F | 1:12.20 | Dirt | Fast | B | ||
| 01/20/2012 | GP | 5F | :58.60 | Dirt | Fast | B | ||
| 01/13/2012 | GP | 5F | 1:01.20 | Dirt | Fast | B | ||
| 01/07/2012 | GP | 4F | :50.80 | Dirt | Fast | B |