The 2005 KY Derby had two interesting storylines going into the race, the first was Bellamy Road, the Wood Memorial winner who was owned by George Steinbrenner of the New York Yankees and trained by Nick Zito who had spoiled Smarty Jones' TC bid the year before with Birdstone. The other storyline was of Afleet Alex who had won the Arkansas Derby and was coming out of Delaware Park, just 1/2 hour away from Smarty's home base of Philadelphia Park. Of course 5th place finisher in the SA Derby Giacomo who was 50-1 gave Mike Smith his first Derby winner and put his trainer John Shierffs and owners Jerry and Ann Moss (of course Jerry being the M in A & M Records) on the map. While most people thought that Giacomo was a fluke (including myself), down at Pimlico, Alex was getting ready to take another shot at him.
Afleet Alex had already been an overachiever by the time he had crossed the wire 3rd at Churchill. In matter of fact, the Northern Afleet colt was a bit of a miracle foal. His dam Maggy Hawk couldn't produce enough milk, and until a nurse mare could be brought in his breeder John Silvertand's daughter fed him using a beer bottle. As a two year old, Alex won the Hopeful and was second in both the Champagne and Breeders' Cup Juvenile. In his first start at three, he won the Mountain Valley at Oaklawn as his trainer Tim Richey had decided to take the Smarty path to the Derby. In the Rebel though, he got a jockey change from Jeremy Rose who had ridden him in all of his starts to John Velazquez who was the regular rider of Ashado who had won the Kentucky Oaks the year before. It was disaster as Alex would finish last behind Greater Good and Rockport Harbor (whose trainer and jockey where the same as Smarty). In the AR Derby, all was righted as Rose was back on him and they won by open lengths. If it weren't for a dead rail at Churchill that First Saturday in May, Alex would have most likely won. Instead he and Jeremy would have to settle for third behind Giacomo and Closing Argument.
Facing a full field of 14, Alex was sent off as the favorite. He sat towards the back of the pack for most of the race until the final turn. As they turned for home, longshot Scrappy T who was coming off a win in the Withers had the lead. It looked like that Giacomo was going to come up short to a horse who like him would have defied the odds. Except there was one horse moving forward in a field of backpedalling horses, Afleet Alex. Then disaster almost struck. Ramon Dominguez who was riding Scrappy T and at the time riding at Delaware Park (as was Jeremy) hit Scrappy on the right hand side. That made him veer out... right in Alex's path. What would happen next? Well take a look and see for your self.
That moment would be named the NTRA moment of the year for 2005. With no Triple Crown on the line, both Alex and Giacomo headed to the Belmont for the rubber match. It turned out to be no contest as Alex blew by the Derby winner easily to win the mile and half race. Sadly, it turned out to be his final race as it was discovered that an injury more then likely suffered in the infamous bump and run had ended his season. Alex would be named 3yo Champion Male over Travers winner and BCC runner up Flower Alley and Champion Sprinter Lost in the Fog. Both Alex and Foggy though would lose HOY honors to St. Liam who had won the BCC that same season.
As a sire, Alex has Travers winner Afleet Express and BC Marathon winner Afleet Again. He is also the sire of Afleeting Lady, who is a 1/2 sister to fellow Preakness winner Shackleford.
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