Community hub
Recent from talks
Contribute something to knowledge base
Content stats: 0 posts, 0 articles, 0 media, 0 notes
Members stats: 0 subscribers, 0 contributors, 0 moderators, 0 supporters
Subscribers
Supporters
Contributors
Moderators
Hub AI
Afleet Alex AI simulator
(@Afleet Alex_simulator)
Hub AI
Afleet Alex AI simulator
(@Afleet Alex_simulator)
Afleet Alex
Afleet Alex (May 9, 2002 – February 6, 2026) was an American thoroughbred race horse who, in 2005, won two of America's classic races, the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes. He was owned by the Cash Is King Stable partnership, was trained by Tim Ritchey and ridden by Jeremy Rose. In twelve lifetime starts, Alex won eight times (six times in stakes, three times in G1 stakes), placed twice (both in G1 stakes), and came in third once (in the Kentucky Derby) over 12 starts, for lifetime earnings of $2,765,800.
Bred in Florida by John Martin Silvertand, Afleet Alex is out of the winning mare Maggy Hawk and counts multiple Grade 2-placed Unforgettable Max as a full brother. Maggy Hawk is by Hawkster, a world record holder on turf at a mile and a half. His maternal granddam is 1983 Demoiselle Stakes (G1) winner Qualique. Qualique was sired by Hawaii, a multiple grade one (G1) winner and marathon turf specialist. Also on his dam's side is Sir Gaylord, half-brother to Secretariat, who sired his fourth dam, Gaylord's Touch. Maggy Hawk has three foals of racing age, two runners, two winners and two stakes horses, including Afleet Alex. He was sired by Northern Afleet, a stakes winner from seven furlongs to nine furlongs, who was the son of the 1987 Canadian Horse of the Year, Afleet. Afleet was by the leading sire Mr. Prospector.
At the outset, Afleet Alex faced adversity: his mother became ill 24 hours after his birth and could no longer nurse him. She did supply him with colostrum (mother's first milk that is rich in antibodies and nutrients). Silvertrand's daughter Lauren (then nine) fed the colt from a Coors Light bottle the day after his mother became ill. He continued bottle feeding for twelve days until a nurse mare could be found. He was originally sold at auction as a yearling for $150,000.[citation needed] A year later the owner sold him in the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic May two-year-olds in training sale for $75,000.
Afleet Alex was named after his sire, Northern Afleet, and after the son of the principal owner (Chuck Zacney), who was named Alex. In part because three children of the ownership syndicate were named Alex or Alexandra, Alex's Lemonade Stand became the ownership group's charity, to which they donated a portion of the colt's winnings. Alex's Lemonade Stand was named for Alex Scott, a girl who started to raise money for pediatric cancer research prior to her own cancer death in 2004 at the age of eight. When John Silvertand was himself diagnosed with colon cancer, the managing partner of the Afleet Alex ownership syndicate, Chuck Zacney, made the announcement public, with the consent of Alex Scott's parents, and they encouraged racetracks to host Alex's Lemonade Stand fundraising efforts during race meets, which came to include the 2005 Preakness and Belmont Stakes.
Considered an ugly duckling as a youngster, Afleet Alex turned into a handsome bay stallion who reached 16 hands (64 inches, 163 cm) at maturity. While he has a commanding presence, Gainesway's sales director Michael Hermon has described him as being "like a big Labrador."
As a two-year-old, Afleet Alex broke his maiden by 11 1/4 lengths on June 26, and then won an allowance race by a dozen lengths on July 12. He then won the Sanford Stakes at Saratoga on July 29 by 5+1⁄4 lengths in stakes record time. "This horse is a beast," said jockey Jeremy Rose. "He's classy enough to sit off the speed and take off. I really didn't have to do much with him, other than keep him out of trouble. I've been on decent horses before, but this one is special because of the way he runs. He is so athletic and professional. He does everything you ask him, whether it is in a workout or a race. It seems he has an unlimited amount of gears; that's why I think he can easily go longer." He then won the G1 Hopeful Stakes, finished second in the G1 Champagne Stakes and the G1 Breeders Cup Juvenile.
Afleet Alex started his three-year-old campaign by winning the listed Mountain Valley Stakes at Oaklawn Park in a fast time of 1:09.52 for six furlongs. He then finished out of the money for the only time in his career in the Rebel Stakes under jockey John R. Velazquez, and was later found to be suffering from a lung infection. He returned to win the G2 Arkansas Derby by a record eight lengths under his regular jockey, Jeremy Rose. Rose hit his colt five times—"and I only did that because it was a million-dollar race, not because he needed it."
Coming off two strong wins and discarding his Rebel Stakes mishap, Afleet Alex was one of the favorites for the Kentucky Derby, run May 7, 2005. In the race, he finished third by less than a length to Giacomo, who was a 50–1 longshot. Rose later said that he had not given the horse the best ride of his life.
Afleet Alex
Afleet Alex (May 9, 2002 – February 6, 2026) was an American thoroughbred race horse who, in 2005, won two of America's classic races, the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes. He was owned by the Cash Is King Stable partnership, was trained by Tim Ritchey and ridden by Jeremy Rose. In twelve lifetime starts, Alex won eight times (six times in stakes, three times in G1 stakes), placed twice (both in G1 stakes), and came in third once (in the Kentucky Derby) over 12 starts, for lifetime earnings of $2,765,800.
Bred in Florida by John Martin Silvertand, Afleet Alex is out of the winning mare Maggy Hawk and counts multiple Grade 2-placed Unforgettable Max as a full brother. Maggy Hawk is by Hawkster, a world record holder on turf at a mile and a half. His maternal granddam is 1983 Demoiselle Stakes (G1) winner Qualique. Qualique was sired by Hawaii, a multiple grade one (G1) winner and marathon turf specialist. Also on his dam's side is Sir Gaylord, half-brother to Secretariat, who sired his fourth dam, Gaylord's Touch. Maggy Hawk has three foals of racing age, two runners, two winners and two stakes horses, including Afleet Alex. He was sired by Northern Afleet, a stakes winner from seven furlongs to nine furlongs, who was the son of the 1987 Canadian Horse of the Year, Afleet. Afleet was by the leading sire Mr. Prospector.
At the outset, Afleet Alex faced adversity: his mother became ill 24 hours after his birth and could no longer nurse him. She did supply him with colostrum (mother's first milk that is rich in antibodies and nutrients). Silvertrand's daughter Lauren (then nine) fed the colt from a Coors Light bottle the day after his mother became ill. He continued bottle feeding for twelve days until a nurse mare could be found. He was originally sold at auction as a yearling for $150,000.[citation needed] A year later the owner sold him in the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic May two-year-olds in training sale for $75,000.
Afleet Alex was named after his sire, Northern Afleet, and after the son of the principal owner (Chuck Zacney), who was named Alex. In part because three children of the ownership syndicate were named Alex or Alexandra, Alex's Lemonade Stand became the ownership group's charity, to which they donated a portion of the colt's winnings. Alex's Lemonade Stand was named for Alex Scott, a girl who started to raise money for pediatric cancer research prior to her own cancer death in 2004 at the age of eight. When John Silvertand was himself diagnosed with colon cancer, the managing partner of the Afleet Alex ownership syndicate, Chuck Zacney, made the announcement public, with the consent of Alex Scott's parents, and they encouraged racetracks to host Alex's Lemonade Stand fundraising efforts during race meets, which came to include the 2005 Preakness and Belmont Stakes.
Considered an ugly duckling as a youngster, Afleet Alex turned into a handsome bay stallion who reached 16 hands (64 inches, 163 cm) at maturity. While he has a commanding presence, Gainesway's sales director Michael Hermon has described him as being "like a big Labrador."
As a two-year-old, Afleet Alex broke his maiden by 11 1/4 lengths on June 26, and then won an allowance race by a dozen lengths on July 12. He then won the Sanford Stakes at Saratoga on July 29 by 5+1⁄4 lengths in stakes record time. "This horse is a beast," said jockey Jeremy Rose. "He's classy enough to sit off the speed and take off. I really didn't have to do much with him, other than keep him out of trouble. I've been on decent horses before, but this one is special because of the way he runs. He is so athletic and professional. He does everything you ask him, whether it is in a workout or a race. It seems he has an unlimited amount of gears; that's why I think he can easily go longer." He then won the G1 Hopeful Stakes, finished second in the G1 Champagne Stakes and the G1 Breeders Cup Juvenile.
Afleet Alex started his three-year-old campaign by winning the listed Mountain Valley Stakes at Oaklawn Park in a fast time of 1:09.52 for six furlongs. He then finished out of the money for the only time in his career in the Rebel Stakes under jockey John R. Velazquez, and was later found to be suffering from a lung infection. He returned to win the G2 Arkansas Derby by a record eight lengths under his regular jockey, Jeremy Rose. Rose hit his colt five times—"and I only did that because it was a million-dollar race, not because he needed it."
Coming off two strong wins and discarding his Rebel Stakes mishap, Afleet Alex was one of the favorites for the Kentucky Derby, run May 7, 2005. In the race, he finished third by less than a length to Giacomo, who was a 50–1 longshot. Rose later said that he had not given the horse the best ride of his life.