Flashback: Afleet Alex's 2005 Arkansas Derby rebound

They’re off and racing on a sunny Saturday at Oaklawn Park. It’s 5:17 p.m., with the sun low in the sky on April 16, 2005.

Ten talented 3-year-old Thoroughbreds break from the Oaklawn starting gate, straining for early position in the Arkansas Derby. A 1 1/8-mile journey stands between the competitors and the winner’s share of the $1 million purse.

Most of the runners are away alertly, perhaps none more so than Afleet Alex. The 2-1 favorite breaks like a rocket; he’s full of vigor, ready to run, but jockey Jeremy Rose says “not yet,” asking the son of Northern Afleet to settle in midpack as the field flies into the first turn.

The pace is steady but modest; the timer flashes :23.03 as longshot Batson Challenge assumes command through the opening quarter mile. Afleet Alex settles between runners; he’s in danger of getting squeezed out of contention, but the bay colt doesn’t panic, casually dropping out of the pocket and shifting to the outside. He’s running like a pro, well-positioned following a half-mile in :47.91, but will he sustain his run?

This is the literal million-dollar question. Afleet Alex already has proven his worth with a victory in the Hopeful (G1) and a runner-up effort in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, but the Tim Ritchey-trained youngster is entering off a dismal last-place finish in Oaklawn’s Rebel (G2). One moment, he was racing in second place, seemingly poised to challenge for the lead. The next moment, he was retreating through the field to finish a dozen lengths behind the victorious Greater Good.

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Ritchey discovered Afleet Alex suffered from a lung infection and gave the colt a short break for treatment. Bettors clearly anticipated a rebound, but as the Arkansas Derby field storms into the far turn, no one knows for certain what to expect. Will Afleet Alex accelerate? Or will he come up empty yet again?

Suddenly, everything starts happening at once. Batson Challenge begins to weaken. Another longshot, Canteen, advances to secure a narrow lead through six furlongs in 1:12.78, but he’s quickly confronted by the graded stakes winner Flower Alley. Farther back, Greater Good is struggling to unfurl his best stride, stalling under pressure and passing only tired runners.

And in the midst of all this action, Afleet Alex makes his move.

Responding eagerly to Rose’s cues, Afleet Alex pounces, sprinting into contention on the far outside. Far from coming up empty, he’s absolutely full of run, bounding past rivals to seize a clear lead at the top of the lane.

“When I kiss to him,” Rose later remarks in a story by Robert Yates in The Blood-Horse in April 2006. “He has a kick that’s unbelievable.”

Indeed, Oaklawn racing fans — more than 71,000 of them — watch in disbelief as Afleet Alex powers clear with a turn of foot rarely seen. He sprinted the fourth quarter-mile in :24.28, and he’s just getting warmed up. In the blink of an eye, he’s 5 1/2 lengths in front, roaring clear of Flower Alley with a devastating burst of speed, and for good measure he sprints the final furlong in a :11.74 to cruise across the finish line eight lengths in front.

It’s an extraordinary performance, the most dominant in the history of the Arkansas Derby. Afleet Alex establishes a new record for the largest margin of victory in Oaklawn’s signature race and simultaneously turns his disappointing Rebel run into a distant memory.

“I think he silenced his critics today,” Ritchey told The Blood-Horse.

Afleet Alex goes on to enjoy success in the spring classics. He follows a close third-place finish in the Kentucky Derby with a heart-stopping triumph in the Preakness, where he recovers from a severe stumble at the head of the stretch to win by 4 3/4 lengths. To reiterate his abundant ability, Afleet Alex dominates the Belmont Stakes by seven lengths, cementing his leadership among the 3-year-olds of 2005.

The extent of Afleet Alex’s superiority stuns racing analysts, who laud his seemingly inexhaustible stamina and breathtaking turn-of-foot. His success in the Triple Crown earns the accolades, but it’s his triumph in the Arkansas Derby — less heralded, but no less impressive — that gives the first taste of the herculean feats that will follow.

J. Keeler Johnson is a writer, videographer, handicapper, and all-around horse racing enthusiast. A great fan of racing history, he considers Dr. Fager to be the greatest racehorse ever produced in America, but counts Zenyatta as his all-time favorite. You can follow him on Twitter at @J_Keelerman.