Animal Kingdom scoops richest prize in racing

(CNN) -- Animal Kingdom roared into the record books at Meydan Racecourse Saturday, blowing away the rest of the field to become only the second Kentucky Derby winner to triumph in the Dubai World Cup, the world's richest race.

The giant chestnut started strongly and tucked in behind the early pace setter, Royal Delta, before being unleashed in the straight by jockey Joel Rosario.

He held off a final gallant challenge from the globe-trotting Red Cadeaux to win by four lengths.

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Planteur reprised his third place finish from last year, while the Andrew Balding-trained Side Glance ran the race of a lifetime to finish fourth.

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With $10 million in prize money on offer, the most lucrative race in the world attracted a strong international field, with representatives from the UK, the U.S., Australia and Dubai.

But it was a sparkling performance by arguably the classiest horse in the field that saw racing's richest prize returned to American hands after a four-year dearth.

Trained in the U.S. by English-born Graham Motion, the Kentucky Derby winner from 2011 has shown a unique ability to run convincingly on all three surfaces: dirt, synthetic and turf.

However, attempts to live up to his promise on the international stage had been hampered by injury and he has run just twice since he was ruled out of last year's running of the Dubai World Cup.

He will now be targeted at Britain's Royal Ascot meeting in June before heading to Australia to embark on a career at stud.