Everybody has an opinion in relation to horse racing. It is probably the most fascinating elements of this sport. Debate rages over which horses have been higher, which performances have been higher, or which rivalries are probably the most memorable.
There are only a few issues that handicappers, horse racing writers and followers agree on, in truth nearly by no means.
However there’s one efficiency that stands out as arguably the most effective races this horse has ever delivered on the Triple Crown stage. That was Afleet Alex’s Preakness Stakes victory in 2005.
Practically 21 years in the past, horse racing followers witnessed probably the most exceptional performances in U.S. Triple Crown historical past. The truth that it was introduced in partnership with pediatric most cancers charity Alex’s Lemonade Stand and from a horse with whom so many individuals have developed deep private connections made it much more particular.
When Afleet Alex acquired up from his knees after being side-swiped by Scrappy T on the entrance of the Preakness and charged towards an unforgettable victory, he carried the hopes and goals of his breeders, homeowners, trainers and fan base, in addition to jockey Jeremy Rose’s 120-odd kilos, as he ran throughout the end line.
mid-first decade of the 21scent This century has been a magical time within the Mid-Atlantic area. After Humorous Cide put New York within the highlight in 2003, Smarty Jones mania swept by way of Philadelphia in 2004. A 12 months after Afleet Alex received the Triple Crown in 2005, the unlucky Barbaro confirmed extraordinary dominance within the 2006 Kentucky Derby, placing Maryland’s Fairhill Coaching Middle on the map.
“My good friend Joe Lello and I have been on the Tremendous Bowl in February 2004, when Smarty was getting nearly all of the headlines, and I mentioned, ‘Joe, I need to kind a partnership. I am actually into this Smarty Jones expertise,'” mentioned Chuck Zacny, who based Afleet Alex’s possession group Money is King Secure. “That’s type of why we began horse racing.”
It is arduous to think about, however Afleet Alex was the primary racehorse to purchase Zacny and its newly established steady. Zakney requested high native coach Tim Ritchie of Delaware Park to pick the horse. Ritchie chosen Afleet Alex for $75,000 instead of Zacny on the 2004 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Coaching Two-Yr-Outdated Sale.
Afleet Alex’s story started in Might 2003 in Ocala, Florida. His mom, Maggie Hawk, didn’t produce milk and had nothing to do with the stallion. Lauren, the 9-year-old daughter of terminally in poor health breeder John Silvertand, was bottle-feeding her child utilizing a sterile Coors Mild bottle till she may safe a nurse mare.
Alex, an Afleet, rapidly tailored to human contact.
“This horse was a really candy horse, most likely as a result of he bonded so nicely with the individuals who bottle fed him and principally raised him,” Ritchie mentioned. “I imply, he utterly trusted folks and was a extremely enjoyable horse to be round.”
Afleet Alex’s success helped Silvertando get by way of a really troublesome time, when he handed away from most cancers in January 2007. He remained a mild horse, pleasant with kids all through his life.
“He was a form individual, particularly in direction of kids,” Zakny remembers. “On the time, my sons have been 4 and 5, and I had an 8-year-old daughter, and a number of the different companions had young children, so it turned one thing actually particular. You talked about peppermints, however by way of apples and no matter he preferred, no matter we had, he was simply round and it was very easy to pet.”
Ritchie was much more impressed when he introduced the athletic stallion again to the barn after the 2-year-old sale. It did not take lengthy for Ritchie and Zacny to understand there was one thing particular about Afleet Alex. Afleet was named after Zakny’s son and the youngsters of his two different companions.
Only a few weeks after the public sale, Afleet Alex received his debut by 11 1/4 lengths in a five-and-a-half furlong race at Delaware Park.
“It was mid-Might when I discovered him at a sale,” Zacny mentioned. “5 weeks later he was racing. So going to the sale and 5 weeks later going to his first race and profitable the Delaware by over 11 lengths was simply unbelievable.”
Afleet Alex additionally received by 12 lengths on July 12 at Delaware Race Course, setting the stage for a coming-out occasion in upstate New York that summer time.
“I needed to push him earlier than I took him to Saratoga for the Sanford (S), so I drove him again,” Ritchie mentioned. “He received simply and was already nominated for Sanford. However after he broke his maiden, you may inform he was a particular horse, and clearly he proved that.”
Afleet Alex lived as much as expectations at Sanford, profitable by 5 1/4 lengths, however it wasn’t till the G1 Hopeful Stakes that he actually started to seize the creativeness of racing followers.
On a tough course at Saratoga, Afleet Alex veered right into a crowd of cheering followers on the rails at Spa and seemed defeated, however by some means he regained his focus underneath common rider Rose and reached the end line in time for an unbelievable victory by a slim margin.
“My son was solely 4 years previous on the time, so he was watching the race on my shoulder. I keep in mind the gang cheering him on, and when he nearly fell onto the skin rail, the place went silent,” mentioned Szakny, who was in Saratoga together with his household for each races. “Swiftly he began to get higher once more and he grabbed the wire by the neck and stood up and there was an enormous uproar.
“I have been again to Saratoga yearly since then. It is superb how many individuals to this present day nonetheless do not forget that race and positively keep in mind this horse.”
Afleet Alex completed second by a half-length within the G1 Champagne Stakes and misplaced to winner Wilco by lower than a size within the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile to finish his two-year-old season.
A finalist for the Eclipse Award as champion 2-year-old colt, Afleet Alex was on the quick checklist of favorites for the 2005 Triple Crown race.
Afleet Alex received his 2005 first begin six furlongs within the Mountain Valley Stakes at Oaklawn Park and completed sixth and final within the Insurgent Stakes as a 7-10 favourite. Richie then discovers that Afleet Alex has a lung an infection.
Alex, the Afleet who raced within the Arkansas Derby, was a distinct animal than the Afleet who raced at Insurgent. He merely overpowered his opponent, took management with a devastating flip of his foot, after which stormed away by about eight horse lengths.
“That was the type of efficiency I at all times knew he was able to,” Ritchie mentioned. “No one within the press believed he had a lung an infection. I simply took it for what it was. And when he ran again within the Arkansas Derby and did not have a lung an infection, clearly he confirmed his true potential.”
From there it was off to Churchill Downs for Afleet Alex.
The 2005 Kentucky Derby was a wierd race, with the primary half-mile time simply half a second slower than the quickest first half within the race’s historical past. Afleet Alex jumped into competition by splitting horses within the straight, however ran out of gasoline within the closing phases and Giacomo closed in from 18th.threceived by over 16 lengths at odds of fifty.30 to 1.
Afleet Alex took a really respectable third place with a blistering time of 1:09.59, simply 5 lengths behind with three-quarters of a mile to go.
“I at all times needed to journey a horse that I believed was a official menace to win the race,” Ritchie mentioned of his first Kentucky Derby begin. “Clearly, I believed he was. Within the race he did not have the perfect run and solely misplaced by a size. I feel if he had run higher he may have simply received the race.”
After the Derby received by a 50-1 lengthy shot, the Preakness tied 14 horses and there gave the impression to be no giants within the subject. Afleet Alex was despatched off as a lukewarm favourite to win at 3.30 to 1.
“One of many issues we at all times talked about was the arrogance we at all times had in Alex. We nearly anticipated him to win every race,” mentioned Zacny. “When he did not do this, we actually needed to analyze why.
“We knew concerning the degree and the lung an infection, however we have been a little bit quick within the Derby. Possibly a little bit too near the Arkansas Derby, however like I mentioned, we went into every race with confidence and anticipated nice issues from him, and he often got here out on high.”
In line with his common techniques, Rose angled Afleet Alex huge to the left as quickly as he exited the beginning gate, touchdown close to the again of the pack and saving his place. Rose and Afleet Alex started to tug horses one after the other within the flip, the place they needed to await house for a number of seconds, however as they approached the stretch it was clear Rose was sitting on Rocket.
Simply as he was within the flank of chief Scrappy T, rider Ramon Dominguez whipped his left hand, sending the mount straight into the trail of Afleet Alex, who clipped his heel.
At that time, the gang gasped in unison as Afleet Alex stumbled nearly to his knees. Rose later mentioned he truly grabbed the horse’s mane in his first begin within the Preakness.
However Afleet Alex was by no means denied within the race that day. As an alternative, he confirmed unbelievable athleticism and dedication to bounce again.
“Once they point out Afleet Alex, they point out the Preakness race,” Zacny mentioned. “They are saying they nonetheless cannot consider the horse fell to his knees. His nostril touched the bottom and I feel that is what made him offended.”
“It wasn’t simply the horse, it was the jockey as nicely. Most jockeys would most likely have discovered simply the correct spot to land, however Jeremy held on.”
After six paces, Afleet Alex took the lead and from there it was a query of what number of lengths he would win, however in fact, what did horse racing followers witness?
The reply was 4 3/4 lengths and doubtless the perfect Preakness efficiency I’ve ever seen.
“My first thought was the entire subject was proper behind them,” Ritchie mentioned.
“If he went down and Jeremy the jockey went down, the horse can be on high of the horse. In the event you take a look at the sluggish movement (replay), you may see that Jeremy was truly making an attempt to get off the horse and when he got here again, the horse’s neck simply type of hit Jeremy within the chest and pushed him again into the saddle.
“It was actually superb to see in tremendous sluggish movement. Then it acquired up from that shaking and in just some strides Jeremy acquired on the horse and the horse switched leads and simply began pulling away. It was fairly superb.”
Extremely from a pure energy standpoint, Afleet Alex was most likely even higher on the Belmont Stakes. He did not have to beat adversity like he did within the Preakness, however he dominated the opposition in a method that shocked racetrack announcer Tom Durkin.
Belmont Park’s essential observe is 1.5 miles per lap, somewhat than a standard 1-mile oval, so it may be a difficult course for youthful riders. Ritchie gave Rose very particular directions, which he executed expertly, leaving Afleet Alex packed and approaching the straight line of the Belmont Stakes.
“I instructed him, ‘Simply be affected person. Each time the lead modifications, keep in mind you are not on the three-eighths pole and you are a good distance from residence. In the event you’re in the midst of a flip and also you assume it is time to make a transfer, rely slowly to 10,” Ritchie mentioned.
When Rose requested Afleet Alex to hurry up, the response was quick. Durkin talked about his bid after which started outlining the remainder of the sphere, however needed to cease mid-sentence.
“Tom Durkin, he made the perfect name. In the event you take a look at the replay, he says, ‘He handed Giacomo like he was standing nonetheless.’ And he actually did,” Zacny recalled. “He had nice acceleration on the high of the stretch.”
Alex, an Afleet, accomplished the ultimate quarter in 24.50 minutes, which on the time was the quickest ultimate quarter since Arts and Letters in 1969.
The racing world appeared to be blessed with an up-and-coming celebrity who was starting to achieve the highest, however then Afleet Alex was sidelined with an damage and by no means raced once more. He started working as a stallion at Gainesway Farm in Kentucky in 2006 and spent the remainder of his life there, retiring as a stallion in 2022 and passing away on February 12, 2026 on the age of 24.
The Belmont Stakes was an actual temptation for fast-legged horses, however the Preakness will at all times be a race that Afleet Alex will keep in mind. Why not? This was merely one of many best particular person performances in Triple Crown historical past.
“When folks discover out we’re related to Afleet Alex, they at all times consider the Preakness race. It is nonetheless one of many high two or three Preakness races. I feel it is the highest. I do not assume it’s going to ever be surpassed. It was actually, actually spectacular,” Szakny mentioned.
This text was first revealed and up to date in 2015.
