Alex Leaves 'Em Gasping

re: Alex Leaves 'Em Gasping

mararacing — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 16:55:03 GMT

Hugs

Guess you were a bit embarassed then as Giacomo went on to San Diego H.-G2 as well as being GSP several times after the KD. Giacomo didn't get a clear run in the Preakness, a common situation when a horse is a dead closer as is in his case. As stated previously post, he didn't run a step in the Belmont because displaced his palate. Alex was retired after the Belmont, while Giacomo raced at 4. I happened to like both horses, both had their moments, so whatever.

re: Alex Leaves 'Em Gasping

GunBow — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 22:24:58 GMT

Thank you Soldier Course. RIP Mr. Silvertand.

re: Alex Leaves 'Em Gasping

Soldier Course — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 04:28:52 GMT

GunBow:

John Martin Silvertand passed away three years ago, in January 2007, in Florida. As you may recall, he had had colon cancer.

re: Alex Leaves 'Em Gasping

DogDoc — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 04:06:30 GMT

Steve,

I want to thank you for letting us experience the thrills of racing. Many of us aren't able to make it to the track, but we can live it through your writing.

re: Alex Leaves 'Em Gasping

GunBow — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 22:48:13 GMT

Bittersweet memories. Rest in peace Alex Scott. And what ever happened to Mr. Silvertand?

As for Afleet Alex, I was at Churchill for the 2005 Derby, my first. I was absolutely exhausted running from the infield(where I found a spot to catch about 15 seconds of each race) to the paddock to see the horses for the many stakes races, including the Derby. The thing I found most surprising is that by the time of the Derby so many people are wasted that a person, with determination and some genetic luck(ie being tall), can get a good view of the Derby horses in the paddock and as they are led out onto the track under "My Old Kentucky Home".

During my exhausting day, I hit up Alex's Lemonade Stand a number of times, and apparently looked so disheveled that the final time they gave me a few cups for free. Knowing it was going to charity, I paid anyways, but that was the spirit around the Stand.

At the top of the Derby stretch, I thought Afleet Alex was the winner, but he didn't get a clean run and came up just short. Of course, his Preakness win was just amazing. Would he have won by 10 lengths(and earned a 120+ Beyer) without "the incident"?

I was not at Pimlico for the Preakness, but I drove out for the Belmont where I met up with a childhood friend. The 2005 Belmont was the first major race he had ever seen in person, and to this day he still talks with reverence about how Afleet Alex strutted about so confidently in the paddock before the race. The fact that Afleet Alex, a gr.1 sprint winner at 2, was able to rate so kindly in the Belmont and then turn in a 24 second final quarter demonstartes just how gifted a horse he was. I was devastated to hear about his injury weeks later because I truly believed that he would go on to win a handful of gr.1 races, given the ownership indicated an interest to run at 4. Again, bittersweet.

re: Alex Leaves 'Em Gasping

Karen — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 22:16:42 GMT

Re: Question about what happened to Scrappy T.

Scrappy T retired before 2008. Now he lives on the Mason family property in Powhatan and currently living the good life, fox hunting with his handler Danielle.

(Source: www.pedigreequery.com/scrappy+t)

re: Alex Leaves 'Em Gasping

jamesb — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 19:58:43 GMT

Virgil Fox:

That scene from Rocky is one of the best movie moments in history. Should be a federal law that requires everyone to listen to it once a week.

re: Alex Leaves 'Em Gasping

jamesb — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 19:57:04 GMT

This was the first year we went to the Preakness, and our seats were way back under cover around the turn.

I felt like someone had punched me in the stomach and I half turned away when Scrappy T came out into him.

I think my heart was still pounding a half hour later.

Unbelievable.

I still don't understand why Dominguez felt the need to hit Scrappy T left handed there. And he wound up good too. By my count, he hit Scrappy T three more times down the stretch and all were right handed. Strange.

Of course, who expected to see AA flying like that? It was someone shot him out of a rocket.

I'm still not a fan of Rose whipping AA down the stretch either. He had to know ST was going to be dq'd and there was no one else a ride. I think a hand ride would have sufficed.

AA is probably my second favorite horse since I've been following racing, and that race gave me feelings of elation, shock, dread, anger, and relief all in the span of about 30 seconds.

Never experienced anything like it live. Until the Pitt-Cincinnati game a few weeks ago.

re: Alex Leaves 'Em Gasping

zarvona — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 18:19:46 GMT

Great story as usual, but we acspect no less from "The Man"...

Long live "Alex's Lemonade Stand!"

Can't wait for your first 'sack of potatoes' list... I have c. 150 colts and 130 fillies as 2 year olds on my lists already and I am sure, especially after the Nov. Keenland sale, that we will see that many more blossom before MAY and ... 'Greatest 2 minutes in Sports'.

Don't think we have seen the Derby winner yet, unless some one of these previously seen 2 year olds super matures, where certainly few in the Breeder's Juvenile races were very impressive! "Z"

P.S. Remember me? I am the one who was high on a couple of 2 year old horses last year named "Dunkirk" & "Zensational" and one of my last comments was... "I think that we are going to hear from this horse "Summer Bird" again!" {{Still stunned by "My that Bird", but thena gain I was stunned when "Giacamo" beat "Afleet Alex" too!!!!!!!!!!!!!

re: Alex Leaves 'Em Gasping

Soldier Course — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 16:26:27 GMT

For those who have posted that Giacomo was a dubious Derby winner, you may be interested in knowing this: Two days before the 2005 Derby, a renowned and respected turf writer told me that Giacomo was sitting on a big race, and that he was his pick to win the Derby. Did I listen? No. Did I cry? Yes.

Virgil Fox:

I don't think the quote from "Rocky" was cheesy. In fact it brings to mind Smarty Jones and others.

re: Alex Leaves 'Em Gasping

Jermon — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 03:50:14 GMT

Footlick 19 Dec 7:03 PM - Your posting brings back memories of

the 1957 vintage crop of three year olds, which included Bold Ruler,

General Duke, Gallant Man, and Round Table. In the races leading

up to the Derby they broke one track record after another. One of

the rabbits you refer to was Calumet's second stringer, Iron Liege,

who was entered to soften up Bold Ruler for the ill-fated General

Duke. I don't recall anyone accusing Calumet or the Jones boys,

father and son, of cheating.

It is ironic that Iron Liege won the Derby when Shoemaker mis-

judged the finish line aboard Gallant Man. That's racing. Stuff

happens, particularly in the Derby.

re: Alex Leaves 'Em Gasping

hugs — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 23:22:18 GMT

to mararacing alex was the best horse by far they dont always win as we know all to well. giacamo wasnt enen good enough to carry alexs shoes and will be known as just another longshot who got super lucky to win the derby.i told my friends then that piacamo wouldnt win another race and...

re: Alex Leaves 'Em Gasping

Zookeeper — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 17:51:50 GMT

da3hoss,

You said it better than I ever could. Bravo!

re: Alex Leaves 'Em Gasping

da3hoss — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 17:20:39 GMT

Zookeeper, I agree. The horse that wins the Derby is always deserving, because it is the horse that overcomes the race, the post, the track, the speed, the lack of speed, various running styles of the other horses, track bias, temperament, et al... however it's played out...that's why they run the race.

re: Alex Leaves 'Em Gasping

Ragsy — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 14:28:25 GMT

Thanks Steve for a wonderful story.

all horses are awesome.

re: Alex Leaves 'Em Gasping

Zookeeper — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 04:03:54 GMT

Let's see... What are the requirements to be labeled an "undeserving Derby winner"?

1) A horse who has never been on Draynay's ever changing list.

2) A horse who's style is not to Draynay's liking.

3) Last, but not least, a horse who has done all or most of his running outside of Kentucky or the East Coast.

In my humble opinion, it takes a special horse to win that race. If he (or she) crosses the finish line first, that horse is to be applauded...Not deemed "undeserving" by someone pretending to be a horseracing fan.

re: Alex Leaves 'Em Gasping

Footlick — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 00:03:59 GMT

Dray- I'm sorry to tell you but rabbits have been used since the 1800's in horse races. hedvar and Great Power were making no effort to win the Woodward. Huddle Up was making no effort to win the Jersey Derby. The rabbits run against Bold Ruler were making no effort to win those races either. But they have been around as long as thoroughbred racing. Some have been used correctly and some have not, but they have always been a part of it. Some horses overcame rabbits. Bold Ruler overcame them sometimes. Spend a Buck overcame one in the Jersey Derby. Precisionist overcame them at the right distance. Dr Fager overcame them at 4 but wasn't mature enough to overcome them at 3. That's part of horse racing. You can call it whatever you want, but great horses overcome things like that. I never heard Dr Fager's trainer complain about the use of a rabbit, not Bold Ruler's, nor Spend a Buck's. It's just another thing like carrying weight that used to be a test of greatness, but now is looked down upon. If a horse is good enough or mature enough he overcomes the rabbit. If not, but still runs a great race, then the reputation of the horse is enhanced. Look at the pace that Spend a Buck ran in his Jersey Derby win. And it was at 10 furlongs and he held off the Belmont winner.

re: Alex Leaves 'Em Gasping

draynay — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 20:49:58 GMT

No Footlick rabbits have not always been used in racing and most trainers have never used the so called "tactic". Spanish Chestnut was making no effort to win the Derby only to hamper Bellamy Road and robbed us of a Triple Crown championship. Running a horse to hamper another with no intention on winning is cheating as far as I am concerned and have had that opinion since day one and have talked to many trainers who feel the same way and have NEVER done it for that reason.

re: Alex Leaves 'Em Gasping

Virgil Fox — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 16:41:51 GMT

This is gonna sound pretty cheesy, but this story reminds me of a line in the movie Rocky Balboa.

Rocky is speaking to his son and says something like: “It ain’t about how hard you hit, it’s about how hard you can GET hit. It’s about how much you can take and keep moving forward. That’s how winnin’ is done.”

------------------------------

Smarty Jones may have hooked me, but it was Afleet Alex who reeled me in.

So glad to see his runners doing so well.

Thanks again, Steve.

- Peace

re: Alex Leaves 'Em Gasping

BELLWETHER — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 08:54:36 GMT

UNBELIEVEABLE!!!THE TALE...THE HORSE...THE JOCKEY...THE CONNECTIONS...I WAS THERE THE DAY TIM GOT HIM @ TEEMOE...STORIES LIKE THIS IS WHAT BRINGS & KEEPS REGULAR FOLK$ N THE GAME...& NEVER FORGET THE KING!!!...

re: Alex Leaves 'Em Gasping

poor mans racehorse — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 05:35:50 GMT

Jeremy Rose's quote when asked by Donna Brothers how he stayed on was one of the best unscripted comments ever

"he's just that athletic and I was just that scared"

re: Alex Leaves 'Em Gasping

LAZMANNICK — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 04:33:56 GMT

If Spanish Chesnut was the rabbit in the 2005 Derby then I can only surmise that he was in to try and set the race up for Bandini as both were Tabor owned in partnership. If this is true then the rabbit actually outfooted his more illustrius stablemate. As much as I hate to say it, I don't see how this affected Alex. He was far back early on and didn't really make a move until Spanish Chestnut was backing up. The horse that should have been affected was Closing Argument who was well ahead of Alex early on and managed to stay on for second while nearly winning the race. Another example of why a jock should run his race without worrying about the competition.

re: Alex Leaves 'Em Gasping

Gin — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 03:35:01 GMT

That little tenacious colt will always be my hero! Thank You Steve for the tears and the great memories of that day. Not getting that colostrum with only a 10% chance........and overcoming all from day one.........what a HORSE!!!!!!!!!! I will always love you Alex!

re: Alex Leaves 'Em Gasping

robinm — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 02:59:35 GMT

Alex is one of my favorites ever. His Preakness and Belmont were awesome. Clearly, he was the best of his generation and probably should have been a triple crown winner. I read somewhere that Jeremy took the blame for his loss in the KD. I don't think he gave him a bad ride; just a little bad luck, and now I hear, a recurrence of the lung infection.

He was a tough one though, especially for a little guy. I remember when they were trying to bring him back after the fracture that he turned in a 6 furlong workout in 1:09 and change but when they xray'd him again, found the fracture hadn't entirely healed! Thankfully, this was discovered before he was raced again. It certainly apppears he is off to a great start in his new career.

Long live gutsy little horses!

re: Alex Leaves 'Em Gasping

Connie — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 23:36:16 GMT

This wonderful story has filled me with pride once again for my "Little Johnny". That is what I called him when I foaled him and he's always been that to me. He was named after his owner, John Silvertand.

I will never forget that Preakness because my heart went into my throat when I saw him start to go down. Then, that tenacious little colt came out in him and he blew by the others and won the race by 9 lengths. Oh how proud I was and am of him.

One never knows what may become of the foals that they wait for and deliver in the night. "Little Johnny" was and is so special. I could tell that from the start. Long may he live; and, may his foals go on to great things!