Afleet Alex blazes five furlongs in :59

Afleet Alex worked well at Churchill Downs on Tuesday  (Michael J. Marten/Horsephotos.com)

AFLEET ALEX (Northern Afleet), an impressive eight-length winner of the
Arkansas Derby (G2) and a leading contender for the May 7 Kentucky Derby (G1),
blazed five furlongs in a bullet :59 over a fast track at Churchill Downs on
Tuesday. The breeze was easily the fastest of 29 works at the distance. The
second fastest work was 1:00 2/5.

With jockey Jeremy Rose astride, the bay colt came on the track a little
after 8:30 a.m. (EDT), jogged in the mile chute, and then once around the
track accompanied by trainer Tim Ritchey on a pony.

Afleet Alex was timed in fractions of :12 2/5, :24, :35 2/5 and :46 3/5
before galloping out six furlongs in 1:12 2/5.

“Everything was exactly like we wanted it,” Ritchey said. “He started out
easy and finished up strong. He came out of it well, cooled out well, no
problems.”

Rose, who has never ridden in the Kentucky Derby, was also pleased.

“It was perfect,” Rose said. “He always works well. Every track we have been
to, he has handled it just as well. I think he will run on pretty much whatever
you put him on. He is just one of those horses that is athletic and likes to
run.”

Rose was asked if Afleet Alex is the best horse he has ever been on.

“Easily. He’s the fastest and the coolest,” Rose said. “He’s got his own
personality, just like a person. The nice thing about him is whenever a hole
opens up, we can be in and out of there before anybody knows about it.”

Ritchey said Afleet Alex would probably walk the shedrow Wednesday “unless he
is bouncing around the barn.”

“We may work him again Monday or Tuesday of next week,” Ritchey said. “It
would be a lot easier kind of work, start out even slower and just ask him to
finish the last quarter of a mile. That’s a long stretch. He has to get used to
finishing the whole way down that stretch.”