Battle of the Belmont Pits Two Game Winners


What a great performance and I was there to capture the whole thing in living color."
When the managers of John's Classic Oak's Farm in Ocala, Fla., couldn't find a nurse mare, they didn't think Afleet Alex would make it.
John, his wife Carolyn and their daughter Lauren happened to be in Florida the weekend the colt was born. For several days, the farm's staff and John's family took turns looking after him 24 hours a day, bottle-feeding him for several days.
Lauren, 9 at the time, even pitched in, feeding Afleet Alex out of a sterilized beer bottle with a nipple on it. Finally, a nurse mare was found at another farm.
Commenting on the June 11 race, John said, "I imagine the Belmont will not be as full as the Preakness. Maybe eight horses will go as some of these have had enough."
In addition to Afleet Alex and Giacomo, committed starters for the Belmont include Andromeda's Hero, trainer Nick Zito's last chance that was off the board in the Kentucky Derby; Scrappy T, runner-up in the Preakness; Southern Africa, winner of the Lone Star Derby; and two runners from the Peter Pan.
Several other horses such as Buzzards Bay are on the fence so the field could be 10 or 11.
"If we keep going at this rate," John said, "we will be in line for an Eclipse Award and maybe Horse of the Year. Oh, but I'm getting ahead of myself."
The copyright of the article Battle of the Belmont Pits Two Game Winners in Horse Racing is owned by Greg Melikov. Permission to republish Battle of the Belmont Pits Two Game Winners in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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