Motion is the hunter, not the target

BALTIMORE (AP) — A year ago, Graham Motion was one of the most popular figures at Pimlico Race Course.

As the trainer of Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom, Motion had the lone horse in the Preakness field with a shot at winning the Triple Crown.

“The pressure is on you,” the Englishman recalled Thursday. “The two weeks between the Derby and the Preakness, I felt like I was holding my breath. You’re kind of walking on egg shells, hoping everything is going great with the horse.”

Animal Kingdom came in second in the 2011 Preakness, a half-length behind Shackleford. Motion can’t get the outcome out of his mind — no matter how hard he tries.

Motion will saddle Went the Day Well in the Preakness on Saturday. The bay colt finished fourth in the Derby two weeks ago but has won two of his four starts this year.

Tags: horse racing, sports