Afleet Alex, 2005 Preakness
2nd TC Jewel Supported Cancer Charity, Alex's Lemonade Stand
Afleet Alex's Preakness was the story of triumph over near catastrophe, and Alex's Lemonade Stand to support youthful victims of cancer . The combination was successful.
(Afleet) Alex, the Thoroughbred, avoided a catastrophic fall in the 2005 Preakness Stakes, the second jewel in American Thoroughbred's Triple Crown series, and Alex's Lemonade Stand was set up to help raise funds in support of young cancer victims.
The Near Catastrophic Fall
At the bend of the final turn, Afleet Alex sustained a bump from Scrappy T on his right. The colts inadvertently clipped heels, and Afleet Alex went down low, very low, almost to his right front knee when Scrappy T jiggerbugged. Alex somehow righted himself and flew past Scrappy T to win the race.
A great close-up picture of the incident appeared in Sports Illustrated, telling how terribly Alex flirted with total disaster. His nose was inches from the ground, his rider, Jeremy Rose, flung up across his shoulder hanging on for dear life to Alex's black mane.
Alex's Lemonade Stand
Life, itself, was spoken of often at that year's Triple Crown races. It started with little Alex Scott, at the age of four, setting up Alex's Lemonade Stand and selling the summer drink to raise funds to turn over to pediatric cancer research. Alex died at the age of eight from neuroblastoma. But her Alex's Lemonade Stand charity raised over $2 million, some of which included donations from the owners of Afleet Alex. The Thoroughbred's owners continue to be associated with the charity.
Nursing Life and Survival
Afleet Alex's birth was also a gift of life. He was a product of Northern Afleet and Maggy Hawk. He had to be nursed when his mother could not produce milk. Maggy Hawk's owner, John Silvertrand and Silvertrand's daughter Lauren kept Alex alive by bottle nursing him until a substitute nursing mare could be found to replace Maggy Hawk.
Silvertrand himself was diagnosed with cancer and given three months to live in the fall of 2002.
In his near fall in the Preakness, Afleet Alex became Afleet Afoot, miraculously finding his balance. With his body weight crushing downward, he managed to scramble back up before his right knee found dirt.
The SI picture is to be pondered. How did Alex recover his footing from the misstep, that off stride lunge that had catastrophe written all over it?
Those who interviewed Rose after the race were asking how he pulled Alex out of that precarious stumble. Rose was all but dumbfounded by the inquiry. Without the slightest interest in taking credit for the recovery, Rose stated emphatically that Alex was an extremely agile athlete and prevented the fall on his own. After all, he indicated, how could a hundred pound human pull up a thousand pounds of falling, running horse?
One looks at the picture and marvels. It makes one think that Alex was destined to speak of life, defying death in the face of great odds, and never giving in. For that seemed to be the theme of Triple Crown, 2005. Although Alex didn't win the first jewel of the Triple Crown, the Kentucky Derby -- he went third -- he raced to greater heights in the Belmont Stakes, taking that classic by seven lengths.
All the while, the crowds flowed to Alex's Lemonade Stand.
