Dual classic winner AFLEET ALEX (Northern Afleet) breezed five
furlongs in 1:00 4/5 over the fast main track at Belmont Park on Sunday with
regular rider Jeremy Rose in the irons. This was the Tim
Ritchey trainee’s first official work since taking the June 11 Belmont S. (G1) by seven
lengths.
“That was exactly what we were looking for,” Ritchey said. “It was just a
maintenance breeze and he did it nice and easy. The horse looks great. Jeremy
never really asked him for much, but let him finish down the stretch. He cooled
out fine.”
The dark bay colt logged fractions of :25 3/5, :37 3/5 and :49 2/5 before
galloping out six furlongs in 1:14 2/5 and seven-eighths in 1:29 1/5. Afleet
Alex has been jogging and galloping since his Belmont win, but this was his
first timed workout since June 1 at Pimlico.
Ritchey said that his charge would likely go next in the Haskell Invitational
S. (G1) on August 7 at Monmouth Park.
“That’s the race we’ve got next on our radar screen,” he said.
From the Haskell, Afleet Alex is expected to go in the Mid-Summer Derby, the
Travers S. (G1), on August 27 at Saratoga.