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Four Furlongs in :46

Wow: Afleet Alex worked four furlongs handily in :46 at Belmont this morning (Blood-Horse). “This work was to get some air in his lungs,” [rider Jeremy] Rose said afterward. “We ran to the pole a lot more than last time just to make sure it was a consistent work. This was a lot stronger than his last work. I let him run the last half-mile and he seemed to enjoy it. He was really picking it up in the stretch.” Next for Alex: A prep race.

Posted in Horses on October 7, 2005

Afleet Alex Works

Afleet Alex worked five furlongs handily in :59.8 at Belmont this morning, the fastest of eight works at that distance. It was his first workout since undergoing surgery for a hairline fracture in July. Trainer Tim Ritchey wasn’t surprised by Afleet Alex’s performance (Blood-Horse):

“It didn’t amaze me how fast he worked, because he did it easy, and he always works like that,” Ritchey said. “What really amazed me was when he pulled up on the backside, and I walked and jogged back with him on the pony, and he wasn’t even blowing. When you breeze them, you need to put air into them, but he wasn’t even taking a deep breath. It was astounding.”

Ritchey said Alex would work again next week and may return to the races in mid-October. “I don’t want a tough race for him, just kind of a building race. The Classic is more on my mind now after watching him work the way he did.”
Cash Is King stable manager Chuck Zacney commented after the workout that, “Obviously, we need a prep race…. Right now, it looks like he has a 75 percent chance of making the Breeders’ Cup” (Daily News). I don’t want to get my hopes up, but, wow — wouldn’t that be amazing?

Posted in Horses on September 30, 2005

Kitten’s Joy Retired

Turf champion Kitten’s Joy has been retired to stud (New York Post). “The cartilage has worn through in his left knee where he had surgery [last November to remove bone chips],” said owner Ken Ramsey. “Dr. [Larry] Bramlage said the knee might have been bothering him when ran he ran second in the Arlington Million [his last start]. But I’m not complaining. We had a great ride, a great run.” I give Ramsey credit for being so philosophical. Early in July, after Kitten’s Joy won his 2005 debut, the Firecracker, Ramsey outlined a big year for his star. He’d run in the Arlington Million, the Arc de Triomphe, the Breeders’ Cup, and the Japan Cup. “If he could win the Arc and that race in Tokyo, there would be nobody else they could compare him to as far as achievement goes,” Ramsey said then. How quickly disappointment came.

Posted in Breeders' Cup, Horses on September 26, 2005

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