Horse Racing Fantasy Community

Afleet Alex captured the hearts and minds of the horse racing world during the Triple Crown campaign of 2005. Going into the Kentucky Derby, Afleet Alex had an impressive resume as he collected the Grade 1 Hopeful Stakes as a Juvenile and showed impressive ability in winning the Grade 2 Arkansas Derby by 8 lengths leading up to the Kentucky Derby. Suffering from a brutal early pace scenario and what some say was a less than optimum ride from jockey Jeremy Rose, Afleet Alex finished a disappointing but respectable third to unheralded Giacomo.

It is often said that a person’s true character comes out in adversity. If the same can be said for a horse than Afleet Alex has more than earned the nickname some horse fans have given him as the Legendary Hero for his Preakness feat. Our hero escaped what looked to be imminent disaster in Houdini like fashion as he stumbled badly when veered in on by Scrappy T, but made an amazing recovery to regain his footing. Not only did he recover but he regained his momentum and won by 4 ¾ lengths. It was then on to the Belmont Stakes for Horse Racing’s new hero and he did not disappoint as he crushed the field like a champion should, winning by seven lengths and setting himself up as a major Breeder’s Cup Classic contender.

The Breeder’s Cup Classic would elude our hero due to complications with a hairline fracture so we will never know what would of happened if he had went to battle in real life. Luckily, not even history can impede my quest for knowledge and Horse Racing Fantasy simulation’s Best 3-Year-Olds & Up, Colts & Geldings of 2005 can scratch my itch to see how Afleet Alex, Rock Hard Ten (who scratched from the real life race and did not run), Derby winner Giacomo and ultra fast Wood Memorial winner Bellamy Road would fair against the best 2005 Classic runners. My simulated field of 11 includes my fantasy additions, the real life trifecta of Saint Liam, Flower Alley and Perfect Drift, and four other Breeder’s Cup Classic entrants. Who is your money on? Here are my fantasy post positions:

PP 1# Giacomo
PP 2# Sir Shackleton
PP 3# Choctaw Nation
PP 4# Sun King
PP 5# Perfect Drift
PP 6# Bellamy Road
PP 7# Afleet Alex
PP 8# Saint Liam
PP 9# Flower Alley
PP 10# Rock Hard Ten
PP 11# Borrego

And the horses are at the gate. Their off…