"Afleet Alex" has won the Preakness Stakes, the second jewel of U.S. horse racing's Triple Crown, by overcoming a near fall at Pimlico Raceway in Baltimore, Maryland, Saturday. The colt fell to his knees but was still able to win the race.
"Afleet Alex" with Jeremy Rose aboard and "Scrappy-T" with jockey Raymond Dominguez became entangled at the top of the home stretch when Scrappy-T moved to the outside.
Rose, in his first ride in the Preakness, was able to hold on as his horse went to his knees, recovered, and then won the race by four-and-three-quarter lengths. "Scrappy-T" finished second, with Kentucky Derby winner "Giacomo" third.
NBC's Tom Dirkn had the race call. "Here is Afleet Alex who has come on to take the lead. Scrappy T blew the turn and he is second on the inside. And at five lengths back Giacomo will manage only to be third. They are coming down to the finish. And in dramatic style Afleet Alex, who almost fell at the top of the stretch, has won the Preakness by five lengths. Scrappy-T was second," he said.
After the race, Rose said that he was not surprised his colt was able to recover and win despite the tangle with Scrappy-T. "I held onto the mane and he picked himself up and from that point on I knew we had it won. He's just an amazing horse who put all doubters to shame there. A lot of people said he can not do this and that. Well there it is," he said.
The result means that there will be no Triple Crown winner again this year. The third Triple Crown race - The Belmont Stakes - is scheduled for June 11th in New York. No horse has won the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness and the Belmont since "Affirmed" did it in 1978.