"I think we have not done enough importing of horses and blood lines from other places where horses don't run on drugs and horse's legs are not manipulated," Irwin said. "They're basically bigger and tougher and sounder. In Germany, you're not allowed to breed a mare that has ever raced on drugs. So when you buy some stock from there, you know you're getting something good."
Motion's assistant trainer, Dave Rock, who was responsible for the majority of Animal Kingdom's day-to-day training in Palm Meadows, Fla., said he believes the horse has the right temperament to have sustained success. A Triple Crown race can feel a bit like a circus when the crowd gets going, but Animal Kingdom never seemed fazed by the distractions that typically unsettle thoroughbreds.
