Post by Lizanna Foglak on Nov 9, 2005 17:59:42 GMT -5
Afleet Alex out of Cigar Mile; 2006 return planned
"After considering Afleet Alex for the Cigar Mile Handicap (G1) on November 26 at Aqueduct, trainer Tim Ritchey has decided to rest the Preakness (G1) and Belmont (G1) Stakes winner until 2006.
Ritchey said that x-rays showed that the Horse of the Year candidate has not completely recovered from a condylar fracture of his left front cannon bone suffered earlier this summer.
"It's not 100 percent healed," Ritchey said. "It's better than previous x-rays, but there's still a small area there."
Afleet Alex has not raced since winning the Belmont on June 11. He was shipped to Delaware Park from Belmont Park on November 3. Ritchey said on November 6 that the three-year-old son of Northern Afleet will not train for a month.
Among the races being considered for Florida-bred Afleet Alex's four-year-old debut are the Sunshine Millions Classic Stakes on January 28 at Santa Anita Park and the Donn Handicap (G1) on February 4 at Gulfstream Park. He is also under consideration for the Oaklawn Handicap (G2) on April 8 at Oaklawn Park, where he won this year’s Arkansas Derby (G2).
Afleet Alex was injured while training at Belmont in late July and underwent surgery on July 27 to have a screw inserted into his left ankle. Afleet Alex resumed training in September and had two strong workouts on September 30 and October 7 in hopes of making it to the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1). That plan was scrapped when a set of x-rays taken after the second work revealed the fracture had not healed sufficiently.
Ritchey said he would like to have a six- or seven-race campaign with Afleet Alex next year culminating with a start in the Breeders' Cup Classic at Churchill Downs. Ritchey also said he would like to run Afleet Alex on the turf.
Ritchey said he thinks Afleet Alex, the probable champion three-year-old male, deserves strong consideration for Horse of the Year as well. One of his points is that Afleet Alex defeated Flower Alley by eight lengths in the Arkansas Derby and finished well ahead of him in the Kentucky Derby (G1) while Saint Liam, also a leading contender for Horse of the Year, beat Flower Alley by a length in the Breeders' Cup Classic.
"To me, Horse of the Year should be the most dominant performance by a horse in a year," Ritchey said. "Afleet Alex equaled a stakes record first time out going three-quarters [Mountain Valley Stakes at Oaklawn], came back and won the Arkansas Derby by a record nine lengths, came back with his circus act in the Preakness, which was probably the race of the year, and then won the Belmont finishing the last quarter faster than any horse since Arts and Letters in 1969." "
Source: Thoroughbred Times
"After considering Afleet Alex for the Cigar Mile Handicap (G1) on November 26 at Aqueduct, trainer Tim Ritchey has decided to rest the Preakness (G1) and Belmont (G1) Stakes winner until 2006.
Ritchey said that x-rays showed that the Horse of the Year candidate has not completely recovered from a condylar fracture of his left front cannon bone suffered earlier this summer.
"It's not 100 percent healed," Ritchey said. "It's better than previous x-rays, but there's still a small area there."
Afleet Alex has not raced since winning the Belmont on June 11. He was shipped to Delaware Park from Belmont Park on November 3. Ritchey said on November 6 that the three-year-old son of Northern Afleet will not train for a month.
Among the races being considered for Florida-bred Afleet Alex's four-year-old debut are the Sunshine Millions Classic Stakes on January 28 at Santa Anita Park and the Donn Handicap (G1) on February 4 at Gulfstream Park. He is also under consideration for the Oaklawn Handicap (G2) on April 8 at Oaklawn Park, where he won this year’s Arkansas Derby (G2).
Afleet Alex was injured while training at Belmont in late July and underwent surgery on July 27 to have a screw inserted into his left ankle. Afleet Alex resumed training in September and had two strong workouts on September 30 and October 7 in hopes of making it to the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1). That plan was scrapped when a set of x-rays taken after the second work revealed the fracture had not healed sufficiently.
Ritchey said he would like to have a six- or seven-race campaign with Afleet Alex next year culminating with a start in the Breeders' Cup Classic at Churchill Downs. Ritchey also said he would like to run Afleet Alex on the turf.
Ritchey said he thinks Afleet Alex, the probable champion three-year-old male, deserves strong consideration for Horse of the Year as well. One of his points is that Afleet Alex defeated Flower Alley by eight lengths in the Arkansas Derby and finished well ahead of him in the Kentucky Derby (G1) while Saint Liam, also a leading contender for Horse of the Year, beat Flower Alley by a length in the Breeders' Cup Classic.
"To me, Horse of the Year should be the most dominant performance by a horse in a year," Ritchey said. "Afleet Alex equaled a stakes record first time out going three-quarters [Mountain Valley Stakes at Oaklawn], came back and won the Arkansas Derby by a record nine lengths, came back with his circus act in the Preakness, which was probably the race of the year, and then won the Belmont finishing the last quarter faster than any horse since Arts and Letters in 1969." "
Source: Thoroughbred Times