BALTIMORE, 23 May 2005 — Afleet Alex survived a near-disastrous collision at the top of the stretch and easily captured the Preakness Stakes on Saturday.
As Afleet Alex attempted to take over on the final turn, race leader Scrappy T abruptly swung to the outside and clipped heels with the bay son of Northern Afleet.
Afleet Alex nearly fell to his knees, almost sending jockey Jeremy Rose to the dirt but recovered in a big way, roaring to a 4 3/4-length triumph over Scrappy T.
Kentucky Derby winner Giacomo used a big move in the stretch to claim the third spot but was never a serious threat in the second jewel of thoroughbred racing’s Triple Crown.
Giacomo stood in the 11th spot for much of the race and was fifth at the top of the stretch. But the gray colt was no match for the brilliant late-race sprint by Afleet Alex.
The winning time for the 1 3/16-mile race over a fast track was 1:55, well off the Preakness record of 1:53 2/5 set by Louis Quatorze in 1996 and Tank’s Prospect in 1985.
Rose, a Preakness rookie but a veteran on the Maryland circuit, said without the bumping incident Afleet Alex would have won even more easily.
“We should have won by 10 lengths,” Rose said. “We were rolling. We were going real fast.” Afleet Alex finished third in the Kentucky Derby after being lured into a speedy pace. The pace of the Preakness suited trainer Tim Ritchey perfectly. “I thought we were rolling just fine (until the collision),” he said. “I couldn’t believe he got up and won the race.”
For the first time in four years, the Belmont Stakes will not have a chance to host a Triple Crown champion. The final leg of the series will be June 11 at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.
