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Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind
Based on speed figures, and since Afleet Alex didn't race after the Belmont that is all we have, it is far from clear that Afleet Alex was better than the Flower Alley we saw in Saratoga and the BC. While I tend to agree that had he stayed healthy, and logically progressed, Afleet Alex would have been the better of the two, but at best that margin would have been minimal.
Don't even bother attempting to use the Derby as an example, as not only did Flower Alley improve immensely off his Derby performance, he also ran exceptionally well in that race. He was forced to make a suicidal premature move when Chavez sent him into a drive on the backstretch and then got caught behind the tiring Spanish Chesnut. His performance was clearly an indication of good things to come.
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Flower Alley was never the horse Afleet Alex was, and he will never be. Afleet Alex was going to be one of the best had he not been injured. We should be very thankful that we got to see flashes of his greatness on the track. This horse had the most impressive/insane late kick that I have ever seen in horse racing. His move in the Preakness before the incident with Scrappy T, and in the Belmont Stakes were legendary. I cannot remember a horse, and I don't think we will see one in a long time, that had that much of an intense late kick. It was as if he was shot out of a cannon. He could fly. I miss my Alex.
Afleet Alex-BCC champ 2005 by open lengths had he not been injured