Fair Hill Training Center

Animal Kingdom, the 2011 Kentucky Derby winner, is back on the training track at the Fair Hill Training Center and being pointed toward the $10 million Dubai World Cup in late March. Trainer Graham Motion couldn't keep the delight from his voice as he talked about getting Animal Kingdom and Toby's Corner back onto the racetrack. Both have recovered from injuries that sidelined them for the second half of their 3-year-old seasons. "I think Animal Kingdom should still be a front-runner for the 3-year-old Eclipse Award," Motion said.

Really, the frustration began at last year's Belmont. That's when Animal Kingdom, Graham Motion's finest horse to date, was cut off and, while veering away, clipped heels and almost tossed his jockey. It took a thunderous run at the end - the colt's specialty - to place sixth after winning the Kentucky Derby and finishing a close second at the Preakness. Animal Kingdom was injured in that race, suffering a fracture in his left hind leg that would require surgery. He spent the rest of the year resting and rehabbing.

Trainer Graham Motion said Monday that he's leaning strongly toward bringing Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom to Pimlico Race Course on Saturday, the day of the Preakness Stakes, instead of bringing him in Friday and having him stay overnight in an unfamiliar environment. Since he won the Derby on May 7, Animal Kingdom has been settling in at his new home at the Fair Hill Training Center in Elkton, where Motion has his base of operations. "I'm really thinking I'm leaning that way right now," Motion said.

- Thoroughbred racing is sometimes called the "sport of kings," but the horse owners and prospective owners sipping red wine at a reception the other night seemed too young to have ascended to an exalted level of royalty. Maybe they could symbolically be earls or viscounts. They looked like recent college graduates too old for the bar scene but too young to yet possess the graying, distinguished, moneyed look commonly associated with the sport's elite. But that was the point.

- Thoroughbred racing is sometimes called the "sport of kings," but the horse owners and prospective owners sipping red wine at a reception the other night seemed too young to have ascended to an exalted level of royalty. Maybe they could symbolically be earls or viscounts. They looked like recent college graduates too old for the bar scene but too young to yet possess the graying, distinguished, moneyed look commonly associated with the sport's elite. But that was the point.

A wild and unpredictable Triple Crown season came to an appropriately stunning conclusion Saturday as 24-1 long shot Ruler On Ice won the 143rd running of the Belmont Stakes. Ruler On Ice, a gelding who didn't run in either the Kentucky Derby or the Preakness and was wearing blinkers for the first time, sat just off the lead for most of the race, and then jockey Jose Valdivia Jr. let him surge to the lead with 1/4 of a mile to go. The temperamental but talented colt ran hard to the wire, holding off Stay Thirsty (second)

As preparations begin on Old Hilltop for the 137th running of the Preakness Stakes, the star of the field already has a confirmed arrival date. Kentucky Derby winner I'll Have Another will show up Monday, much earlier than originally expected - and before most horses in recent years have begun their acclimation to Pimlico. Trainer Doug O'Neill, fresh off a long night of celebrating and on about three hours of sleep, said Sunday morning at Churchill Downs that he and the colt's connections had reversed their original decision to keep I'll Have Another at Churchill Downs this week.

Women's college basketball Terps senior Kizer suspended indefinitely Maryland announced Tuesday that senior center Lynetta Kizer , a Wooden Preseason Top 30 player, has been suspended indefinitely for a violation of team rules. The Terps , ranked No.11, routed visiting Messiah, 82-36, on Tuesday night in an exhibition game behind 17 points from Laurin Mincy and 13 from Alyssa Thomas . Maryland will open the regular season at home against Loyola on Nov.11 at 7p.m.

Really, the frustration began at last year's Belmont. That's when Animal Kingdom, Graham Motion's finest horse to date, was cut off and, while veering away, clipped heels and almost tossed his jockey. It took a thunderous run at the end - the colt's specialty - to place sixth after winning the Kentucky Derby and finishing a close second at the Preakness. Animal Kingdom was injured in that race, suffering a fracture in his left hind leg that would require surgery. He spent the rest of the year resting and rehabbing.

His day-to-day work has not changed. The routine for Graham Motion is no different now than it was in the early 1990s, when he first became a thoroughbred trainer. "We send them out there, see how they are doing, take what we can from what we see and do it again the next day," Motion said last week. He spoke from the grounds at the Fair Hill Training Center, a bucolic full-service facility nestled near the northeast corner of the state. Motion, who has pointed Kentucky Derby fourth-place finisher Went the Day Well to Saturday's 137th running of the Preakness Stakes, has settled in here as one of the most respected in his field.

His day-to-day work has not changed. The routine for Graham Motion is no different now than it was in the early 1990s, when he first became a thoroughbred trainer. "We send them out there, see how they are doing, take what we can from what we see and do it again the next day," Motion said last week. He spoke from the grounds at the Fair Hill Training Center, a bucolic full-service facility nestled near the northeast corner of the state. Motion, who has pointed Kentucky Derby fourth-place finisher Went the Day Well to Saturday's 137th running of the Preakness Stakes, has settled in here as one of the most respected in his field.

As preparations begin on Old Hilltop for the 137th running of the Preakness Stakes, the star of the field already has a confirmed arrival date. Kentucky Derby winner I'll Have Another will show up Monday, much earlier than originally expected - and before most horses in recent years have begun their acclimation to Pimlico. Trainer Doug O'Neill, fresh off a long night of celebrating and on about three hours of sleep, said Sunday morning at Churchill Downs that he and the colt's connections had reversed their original decision to keep I'll Have Another at Churchill Downs this week.

Women's college basketball Terps senior Kizer suspended indefinitely Maryland announced Tuesday that senior center Lynetta Kizer , a Wooden Preseason Top 30 player, has been suspended indefinitely for a violation of team rules. The Terps , ranked No.11, routed visiting Messiah, 82-36, on Tuesday night in an exhibition game behind 17 points from Laurin Mincy and 13 from Alyssa Thomas . Maryland will open the regular season at home against Loyola on Nov.11 at 7p.m.

Animal Kingdom, the 2011 Kentucky Derby winner, is back on the training track at the Fair Hill Training Center and being pointed toward the $10 million Dubai World Cup in late March. Trainer Graham Motion couldn't keep the delight from his voice as he talked about getting Animal Kingdom and Toby's Corner back onto the racetrack. Both have recovered from injuries that sidelined them for the second half of their 3-year-old seasons. "I think Animal Kingdom should still be a front-runner for the 3-year-old Eclipse Award," Motion said.

A wild and unpredictable Triple Crown season came to an appropriately stunning conclusion Saturday as 24-1 long shot Ruler On Ice won the 143rd running of the Belmont Stakes. Ruler On Ice, a gelding who didn't run in either the Kentucky Derby or the Preakness and was wearing blinkers for the first time, sat just off the lead for most of the race, and then jockey Jose Valdivia Jr. let him surge to the lead with 1/4 of a mile to go. The temperamental but talented colt ran hard to the wire, holding off Stay Thirsty (second)

No matter how hard you work, or how brilliant you may be, the art of training thoroughbred race horses often comes down to the simple matter of fate. Graham Motion probably understands this better than most. In fact, he's thought about it a lot recently, especially during the past two weeks, ever since his life was turned into a state of beautiful chaos when he won the Kentucky Derby with Animal Kingdom. On Saturday, Motion, 47, will live out a fantasy that is nearly 20 years in the making.

No matter how hard you work, or how brilliant you may be, the art of training thoroughbred race horses often comes down to the simple matter of fate. Graham Motion probably understands this better than most. In fact, he's thought about it a lot recently, especially during the past two weeks, ever since his life was turned into a state of beautiful chaos when he won the Kentucky Derby with Animal Kingdom. On Saturday, Motion, 47, will live out a fantasy that is nearly 20 years in the making.

Trainer Graham Motion said Monday that he's leaning strongly toward bringing Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom to Pimlico Race Course on Saturday, the day of the Preakness Stakes, instead of bringing him in Friday and having him stay overnight in an unfamiliar environment. Since he won the Derby on May 7, Animal Kingdom has been settling in at his new home at the Fair Hill Training Center in Elkton, where Motion has his base of operations. "I'm really thinking I'm leaning that way right now," Motion said.