Battle of the Belmont Pits Two Game Winners
©
Greg Melikov
Jun 1, 2005
Even though the Triple Crown isn't at stake, the 137th Belmont Stakes should be an exciting race between winners of the Kentucky Derby and Preakness.
I can't recall the last time when there were two sentimental favorites in the Belmont. Giacomo finally earned respect finishing a game third in the Preakness after becoming the second longest shot in Derby history to smell the roses.
Afleet Alex, beaten only a length at Churchill Downs, scored convincingly in the Preakness during the wildest ride in a Triple Crown leg since Alysheba's victory in the '87 Derby.
You be the judge from the footnotes in the past performances of each race:
ALYSHEBA, carefully handled when caught in close quarters between horses just after the start, advanced steadily to reach contention approaching the stretch, stumbled when he clipped the heels of BET TWICE just inside the final three-sixteenths, came out to avoid that rival again leaving the furlong grounds and proved best under strong handling.
AFLEET ALEX was angled towards the inside soon after start, gained a rail position down the backstretch, followed GREELY'S GALAXY into and around the far turn while saving ground, angled out three to four wide leaving the five-sixteenth's pole, stumbled badly when clipping heels the heels of SCRAPPY T entering the stretch, quickly recovered, angled inside of that rival, surged to command a furlong out, then drew clear under steady right-handed pressure.
Alysheba won the Preakness, but finished fourth to Bet Twice in the Belmont.
Afleet Alex is aiming to become the 18th horse to complete the Preakness-Belmont double, which includes Point Given in '01, Tabasco Cat in '94 and Hansel in '91.
Giacomo would be only the 12th horse to record the Derby-Belmont double, which includes Thunder Gulch in '95 and Swale in '84.
While each horse going in the Belmont on June 11 has a cheering section, the No. 1 fan of Afleet Alex is special. He's the breeder who helped the colt survive when his dam, Maggy Hawk, didn't produce any milk.
John Martin Silvertand, a friend of mine since the 1990s when I frequented South Florida tracks, has survived cancer more than two years longer than the doctors gave him.
After witnessing the amazing Preakness victory, he recently told me:
"It certainly was one of the most wonderful experiences of my life and the horse has kept me alive to see it all happen.
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