Under the watchful eye of trainer Tim Ritchey, Preakness S. (G1) hero AFLEET
ALEX (Northern Afleet) jogged 1 1/2 miles, turned around and galloped
about 1 3/4 miles at Pimlico on Thursday.
“He jogged well, switched leads in his gallop and was a happy camper,”
Ritchey said. “Exercise rider (Salamon Diego) had a big smile when he pulled
up and said everything felt perfect.”
Although there is no Triple Crown on the line this year, the $1 million
Belmont S. (G1) on June 11 could serve as a rubber match between Afleet Alex and
Kentucky Derby (G1) winner GIACOMO (Holy Bull).
“He just has to run his race,” Ritchey added. “Being it is a mile and a half
he has to sit back and relax like he normally does and make that big burst the
last three-eighths of a mile.”
Ritchey plans on training his charge twice on Friday. On Saturday, the bay is
scheduled to jog at Old Hilltop before vanning to New York.
In other news:
Alex’s Lemonade Stand for Pediatric Cancer Research raised $18,000 at two
locations at Pimlico last Saturday. The connections of Afleet Alex donate a
percentage of the horse’s winnings to the charity, and earlier this week,
Huckleberry Farm, another client of Ritchey, donated $10,000.
“Fasig-Tipton had a stand at the Timonium sale Monday and I know they raised
a significant amount of money as well,” Ritchey said. “I hope we can get what we
want accomplished on Belmont day and that is to have a lemonade stand at every
racetrack that runs that day. It would be a great story.”
Pimlico is committed to having a stand on Belmont day.
NBC Sport’s television broadcast of the 130th running of the Preakness
averaged a 5.1/13 national rating/share, down from last year, but up slightly
from the same figures for 2003.
The 5.1 rating dropped 16 percent from the 2004 broadcast, which earned a
6.1/15 rating/share. This year’s rating is up 2 percent from 2003 when the
broadcast earned a 5.0/13.
NBC’s five-year average rating for the Preakness is 5.5.