Horse Racing Forum - USA Thoroughbred Races

Frankel, extremely impressed with the gallop he had just seen, was heading back down the stairs of the trainer’s stand when we both noticed a horse flying past us. We couldn’t believe it. It was Afleet Alex coming around a second time. He was having a three-mile open gallop, and in stifling heat, and was actually getting stronger the farther he went.

Frankel could only shake his head in disbelief. When Alex and Ritchey came off the track, Alex’s veins were protruding outside his body and looked like a road map on connecting lines. Ritchey, his shirt soaked with sweat, looked down and said, “Do you think he’s fit.”

Ritchey didn’t know what to make of this gallop, and returned to the barn wondering if he had pushed the horse too far.

Frankel, on the other hand, was now totally convinced this horse was something special.

“You know what?” he said. “I was thinking, he just may be that good. Maybe he is a Seattle Slew or an Affirmed or one of those kinds. Looking how fast he’s run on his Sheet numbers, the fact that he’s still around and doing what he’s doing is pretty amazing.”