This is Afleet Alex's Preakness 2005 run where he almost falls at the top of the stretch! He recovers to take off and win in stunning fashion. There is footage after the race which covers slow motion footage of the near fall.
The most amazing example of athleticism and determination that I have ever seen exhibited by a racehorse. It's one thing to win with a perfect trip, this is greatness in its truest sense. Remarkable!
Afleet Alex is one of the most underrated horses in history. More great horses fail to win the Derby, but go on to show just how great they really are. A remarkable recovery after being clipped and then recover to give a performance for the ages. After watching the 2005 Preakness Stakes it reaffirms what I have been saying for years that race horses are great athletes.
To clip heels and almost fall, recover, and win the race like he did is absolutely incredible. Althought he was much the best, a lot of horses would just say "screw it" and not go on. What an incredible athlete and horse he was. Too bad we weren't able to appreciate him until he was retired. He was a great racehorse. But his babies continue to run well.
What a tremendous race, I loved the Belmont more though with Afleet, that final kick is amazing and so is Durkins Call I wish Afleet Alex won the Triple Crown
Bad racing luck. He lost the Derby to the 50-1 shot, Giacomo. And Closing Argument by a single length. If the race had been longer, he would have passed them easily. He beat Giacomo in the final two races.
Maybe the most talented 3yo of the last decade. If he hadn't suffered the injury here would've been very interesting to see what he could've accomplished as an older horse, but in this Preakness he really showed just how much resilience he had.
Incredible recovery and a great horse. That was an awesome move and ride by Jeremy Rose. I especially loved the part when 1 of the owners screams SOB and then says moments later, he's still gonna win. If you his see his owners reaction you can realize they did not care so much about the money. They are just genuinely excited their colt survived a near fall and won a Classic TC race as they also promised a percentage of any purse to that little girl. Class act!
Next to Secretariat's Belmont, this is the greatest performance in a triple crown race that I have ever seen, beating Alysheba's Derby win by a nose . Granted, I have only been watching races for 50 years, but still.
Afleet Alex was one tough little colt. His Preakness victory was utterly remarkable given he fell to his knees. This incident would ultimately end his racing career following his convincing victory in the Belmont, as he suffered a deep bruise that caused bone degeneration that fortunately was found before a catastrophic breakdown occurred. With a bit better luck in the Derby he should have been a Triple Crown Winner. He was leading with 60 yards to go and lost by a length. One of my all time favourite horses. And to think he won that year at 6 furlongs and then 1 1/2 miles. Such a versatile horse. So talented.
WildH.orseFeathe.rs187 The only reason scrappy to you blew the turn was because he got scared by the left-handed whip he did not do it on purpose though I’m just happy nobody got hurt
This, Carl Nafzger calling the Kentucky Derby for Mrs.Genter in 1990, and Chris Antley leaping from the saddle to save Charismatic's leg from further damage in the 99 Belmont are my top three sports memories.
Afleet Alex was such a nice horse--one of the best horses of recent years, I think. Him and Bernardini. The announcers keep saying how Scrappy T "blew the turn" but damn, Domingez hit that horse a mighty wallop. That's not the horse's fault.
All be it an amazing recovery and near disaster . I'm reminded of an almost as amazing recovery by Alysheba in the 1987 Kentucky Derby . Bet Twice drifted out into an oncoming Alysheba and he clipped heels and how Chris Mcarron stayed on let alone win was amazing. Take a look at that race and be amazed.
I am totally agree with you. Only two world-class jockeys like Chris McCarron (Kentucky Derby 1987) and Jeremy Rose (Preakness Stakes 2005) could avoided a horrible spill and won two prestigious races. Greetings from Venezuela!
If you watch the slow mo between 3:43 and 3:55, you can see that AA took two steps with his left foot. One before the trip and one after. This is called switching his lead, that in itself is what saved Jeremy Rose going down. By switching he pushed his shoulder up and was able to help Rose regain his balance and the rest is history.
AA is a tremendous horse and aside from Secretariat, was the best horse to have raced in the preakness ever. The belmont win, I believe was the second winningest margin next to secretariat also.
I was at the OTB and got their a bit late.the lines at the screens were long and I still needed to withdraw cash, this guy was standing there and he said he'd spot me whatever I wanted to bet, I said 100 dollars on AA to win. When he came around the last turn I said alright!!! HERE WE GO! Then the stumble and I mean it happened so quick I didn't really have a reaction but, when he and Jeremy righted themselves I went absolutely BONKERS!!!I was jumping and actually hugged the guy who helped me
I think there are only a handful of horses that are better than Afleet Alex in the History of the sport. And the Belmont win showed everyone, all the doubters, what kind of VERY gifted horse Alex was. And just his life story is a total miracle. Push button speed. Crazy athleticism. BIG heart (maybe physically too). And some really sick finishing kick.
I just wish he would pass his toughness on to more of his offspring, they have speed but are just more fragile than their sire, suffering setback after setback from minor injuries.
This was the most amazing recovery and win in the history of horse racing! Absolutely remarkable! Afleet is my favorite horse not to win the Triple Crown (Ok, Bid was maybe the most talented and Real Quiet getting caught at the wire by Victory Gallup was crushing...) but A.A's kick down the stretch in the Belmont showed really how good he was. What heart!
Oh my GOD!!! I did not even read in the title "overview of near fall" Just Afleet Alex's name. I don't remember this race though I know I probably watched it. This happened 5 years ago and I jumped out of my seat in fear and made myself dizzy!! LOLOL! To see a horse go down like that is scary as hell and worse if they do.
From 2004-2008, the Mid-Atlantic region put more horses on the board or in the winners' circle for Triple Crown races than any other area: Smarty Jones, Afleet Alex, Barbaro, Hard Spun, and Eight Belles. The PA Nursery (!) put two horses in the top two at Churchill: Smarty (won, 2004), Hard Spun (second in 2007).
WOW I had no idea.......he shoulda won the TC that year. Jeremy Rose took the heat for the narrow derby loss. He didn't want to diminish such an incredibly gifted athlete like Afleet Alex. Good on Jeremy Rose (one of my favorite young jockeys).
This is actually where his leg was injured that retired him. In his prime, I think he could get 2.25 at Belmont if you train him to do that and he's 100%. No doubt about it. Alex proved it in the Belmont on injured front legs and still crushed.
I don't know about that. Spectacular Bid was probably one of the top 10 horses of all time. Point Given was also very good and Secretariat's son Risen Star won the Belmont by almost 15 lengths and the 4th fastest time ever at 2:26 2/5.
I think I would put Barbaro in front of him (if he had been injury-free, the way he ran the Derby, he would've won the Belmont by an amazing margin). But, from the horses I've seen since I started following the TC since 97, Afleet Alex is definitely up there, with this race being one of the most memorable.
Sunday Silence was a freak just for being able to beat that monster on 3 occasions!! Partly because SS ran well on turns, whereas EG's stride slowed him down on most mile ovals and therefore by the time he managed to really get rolling, SS was already gone. And if you give a great horse like that an inch, he won't relinquish it. That's why Belmont suited EG so well - the wide, sweeping turns were custom-made for his stride.
Hey Alex...what a horse you are!!! Good luck to your sons running in the Travers tomorrow...Afleet Express, Admiral Alex and Afleet Again:) Go boys! Do your daddy proud:)
Wonder what kind of final time he runs if he did not fall...This was a fast Preakness..His Triple Crown Preakness/Double was outstanding back to back performances..Some like to nag about his final time in the Belmont...The track was not very fast that day and he certainly did not run a "slow" Belmont..Afleet Alex was a MAJOR talent..
The fact that this horse who would have been a superhorse had he stayed sound did not win the Triple Crown is one of those unsolvable mysteries. I bet on him and saw him lose in the Derby to a decent horse, Giacomo, but one who should never gotten within ten lengths of him ever, but I could not understand how it happened.
steven cooke I think it's a testament to Afleet Alex's natural soundness that he won this race - and then came back to win the Test of the Champion three weeks later!! I think he would have been even better as an older horse. Couldn't be a nicer horse either, a little bit of a foreshadowing for American Pharoah. His babies are highly prized by OTTB fanatics because absolutely NOTHING phases them.
Steven, I bet so much money on Afleet Alex in the Derby. I had him keyed in Pic 3s, Pic 4s, doubles, an exact all wheel with him on top. I was flabbergasted when Giacomo won. The second place horse was even longer and more inexplicable. He was clearly a better animal than either of the two horses who finished in front of him in the Derby. He absolutely crushed the Preakness and Belmont fields. Why he lost the Derby is certainly a mystery. Jeremy Rose said that he moved too soon, that he hadn't timed his horse's move right. In other words, human error.
Yes, that's him! "Afleet Alex, Scrappy T. How much the best is he!!!" And then finishing with "Afleet Alex, AWESOME!!!" Rodman seems to add a touch of excitement that just goes along with a horse race. That's said, Durkin is great too!
I think the reason he was retired is because of that near fall in the Preak. I think he stressed some bones in his ankles and they found it after the Belmont win. I actually think that he had something severely bruised in there, but, it was listed as "broken cannon bone". He could have run on for years, but, you know how this sport is. Money is more important and AA is a helluva sire.
The most I get out of this is that Ramon Dominguez looks back to check on AA and Jeremy Rose, when he saw they were ok he just continued to ride for second knowing he would have been taken down to second. He showed class afterwards when he went and apologized to Jeremy and the connections ( so I heard).
@AAndrews1968 You are absolutley correct!!!!! Dominguez actually did a 360 windup to accelerate the whip more...There is no reason at all to do that no wonder the horse ducked out from that..That had to hurt...I think he raced great he just got beat by a MONSTER
We Keyed Afleet Alex in a positions in the Trifecta at Churchill for $1026.00. It paid over $33 K for a $1.00 Trifecta. I keyed A.A. (in !st) with Giacamo (in 2nd/3rd) 3 times. I played the Belmont with A.A. in 1st w/all w/all. It paid over $600.00 for a $90.00 ticket. I had it 3 times. I never made more money in horse racing (than in 2005) w/Afleet Alex.
I knew Alex would get this one,I felt he was unlucky on Derby day with the pace and all. This race and the Belmont proved to me what I always thought he was.
Derby was a heartbreaker. I've watched it maybe 5 times. Can't bear to watch it. But, yeah, size doesn't really matter. I think a good analogy is NFL running backs. You have big bruiser backs and then you have the pocket rockets like Maurice Jones Drew and Ray Rice. Small guys with explosiveness.
He's one of the only horses in history to win at all lengths of 6 - 12 furlongs. Then you look at his stature and say, how can that be? He's a TINY TB. But, man he's got some spring action and push button speed. You should check out his other races and research his history as a colt whose mother couldn't nurse him anymore due to illness.The owner's daughter came in and nursed him from a beer bottle until they could find a surrogate to feed him the mother's milk.One of his losses he was sick.
Yes Dave Rodman was EPIC in his call of this race. "But here comes Afleet Alex and he's got room to rolllllllllll!" "BOY, does he have some HEART!" "How much the BEST is HE?!" "Afleet Alex........AWESOMMMMMMEEEEEEEEEE"
Dominguez hit Scrappy T so hard and under the belly with the left handed whip. In the slow motion you can clearly see the whip hit Scrappy T under the belly and that is why he ducked out . He did not blow the turn he ran away from the pain inflicted on him by the idiot on his back .
*+Richard Kranzel jr* I honestly couldn't tell where Scrappy T was hit by the whip, but accept your opinion on that, as well as those of others. What struck me was that it looked like his left rein was being pulled, and pretty significantly. To block AA? Why wasn't the horse DQ'd and/or his jock fined? (Forgive my ignorance, I'm "just a fan.")
The horse Scrappy T was not disqualified because he finished behind Aflleet Alex. I also wonder if he would have been dq even if AA would have fallen? The whip under the belly is probably a fine to the jockey but they would have to prove it was done maliciously and not by accident. Jockeys normally do not whip horses there.
It seems to me that if AA and/or his jock had fallen, there could have been a major disaster involving not only them, but others in the field. But because Dominguez got lucky in that regard, it's no- harm, no-foul, and Scrappy T gets 2nd place winnings? Just doesn't seem right .
Well Scrappy T only affected AA. If AA goes down then Scrap would most certainly been DQ to last place. If scrap wins and AA finished 2nd . Scrap would have been placed 2nd. It all worked out for the best . I agree with you its not right but we are now speculating on what ifs . It was an accident. The jock whipped the horse unintentionally under the belly and it hurt Scrap . He ran away from the Pain which is a natural response.
Never could understand how he failed in the Derby. Had he not become injured I feel he would have had a big shot of running the table the rest of the year. I know that Saint Liam was very good, but feel Alex would have taken him.
He was beat by Giacomo in a 20 horse field where he got a bad trip. He DESTROYED Giacomo and every other horse in the Preakness and the Belmont Romp. Giacomo is just an afterthought. He'll be remembered as a spoiler. Nothing more. Afleet Alex's legacy and legend will only grow with each passing generation failing to produce a hoss of his ability. AA is LEGEND, BUD!
@MrFinsforlife...Afleet Alex was the best horse of his generation. He was certainly more than just a "nice" horse. He accelerated faster than most horses I've seen in the last 20+ years ...Alex was too close to the insane fractions set by Spanish Chestnut in the KD, whose 3/4 mile pace was the 2nd fastest in KD history. Alex still only managed to lose by 1 length. Had he gotten a better ride, he could have been a triple crown winner easily. Steve Haskin and many other turf writers praise him.
1 of the Most Visually impressive and Dominant Preakness/Belmont Double Performances in History...Afleet Alex definitely Deserved to be a TC Winner along with Point Given...And the Greatest/Best Horse NOT to win the Crown was Easy Goer...He was far more Talented than his Rival Sunday Silence but Circumstances Had Sunday Silence prevailing with a very narrow 3 to 1 record over him
Best performance by a jockey ever. Watch how Rose goes deep inside right after the gates open. And somehow, someway, he remained aboard the colt. Rose is also a humble guy - gave the horse all the due when he was equally responsible for the win. I love the reaction from the trainer/owners - son of a bitch - when the horse almost goes down but then rights himself to win in impressive fashion!
Still nursing my Derby hangover from a rough go at Sam's Town ( The 10? ), I remember saying over and over, "No F n way...". Will we ever witness this type of grace and athleticism again in a thoroughbred? And see him/her run again? Not in this era, which seems to be bogged down in a quagmire of selfish corporate ignorance.
