Tim Ritchey
Ritchey, a Pittsburgh native, currently resides in Delaware with his wife and two sons. A lifelong horseman, he began riding at 2 1/2 years of age. Trained with the Olympic Equestrian Team as a teenager, and went on to ride steeplechase races prior to becoming a trainer. He has won five training titles at Delaware Park and finished in the top four in their standings for 13 consecutive years. He has never had a Kentucky Derby starter, but won the 1999 Pennsylvania Derby with Smart Guy. Currently, Ritchey has about 45 horses in training, racing primarily in Delaware, Arkansas, Maryland, and Pennsylvania.
Jeremy Rose:
Rose, 26, was born in Bellafonte, Pennsylvania. He was the Eclipse Award-winning jockey in 2001, topping that category in both wins (312) and earnings ($6,659,411). He was introduced to horses through show competitions in high school, and first came to a racetrack in 1999. Began his riding career at Delaware Park, winning his first race there in September, 2000. He won his first stake race the following year on a horse trained by Tim Ritchey. He currently rides on the mid-Atlantic circuit, and was the leading rider at Delaware Park in 2001. Afleet Alex will be his first Kentucky Derby mount.
Cash Is King LLC
Chuck Zacney races in the name of the partnership Cash Is King LLC, formed in April, 2004. The syndicate is made up of five people and managed by Zacney, 43. In 1997, Zacney founded and is currently president of The Sirrus Group, a regional medical billing company based in Pennsylvania. Afleet Alex is the very first horse the stable bought, and subsequently named after three of the partners' children, purchasing him at a two-year-old in training sale in Maryland. Currently, they have about seven horses in training with Tim Ritchey.
John Martin Silvertand (FL)
Silvertand, 60 and a Palm Beach, Florida resident, grew up in England and was around horses from his childhood, as his family built and owned Southwell Racetrack in Nottinghamshire. Prior to coming to the U.S., he and his wife owned a wine and spirits importing business. He came to the States in 1990, and has since maintained a small broodmare band. He and trainer Noel Hickey co-own the Florida stallion Tour d'Or, who stands at Hickey's Irish Acres Farm in Ocala.
05.06.05 - Spanish Chestnut Due In Saturday Morning 05.01.05 - Sunday Barn Notes 04.30.05 - Saturday Barn Notes 04.29.05 - Friday Barn Notes 04.28.05 - Thursday Barn Notes 04.21.05 - Arkansas Derby Winner Afleet Alex Settles In At Churchill Downs 04.20.05 - Holthus Ready For Derby 131 Shot With Greater Good 04.16.05 - Afleet Alex Bounces Back In A Big Way 03.21.05 - Greater Good Runs Down Rockport Harbor 03.19.05 - Greater Good Scores His Third Straight 02.05.05 - Visa Triple Crown Nominations
Cash Is King Stable's Afleet Alex is one of the steadiest members of this year's crop of Kentucky Derby contenders and comes into the "Run for the Roses" off a record eight-length romp in the Arkansas Derby (Grade II) at Oaklawn Park. Trained by Tim Ritchey and ridden by Jeremy Rose, each of whom is participating in their first Kentucky Derby, the son of Northern Afleet brings a record of 6-2-0 in nine races and earnings of $1,315,800 into the race. Afleet Alex launched his racing career at Delaware Park, but made a national splash with wins at Saratoga in the Sanford (GII) and Hopeful (GI). A victory today would make him the second consecutive Derby winner to take a road to Churchill Downs that traveled through Arkansas.
Afleet Alex is a son of Northern Afleet, who comes from the Raise a Native sire line, from which eight of the last ten Kentucky Derby winners have hailed. In addition to Afleet Alex, Northern Afleet has sired seven other stakes winners as of this writing, including G P Fleet (River City Handicap GIIIT) and Unforgettable Max (a full brother to Afleet Alex). Northern Afleet himself won stakes races from seven furlongs (San Carlos Handicap GIII) to nine furlongs (San Fernando Breeders' Cup GII) on his way to a 5-3-5 record from 21 starts. He is also the half brother to two other stakes winners: millionaire Tap To Music (Gazelle Handicap (G1), etc.) and Boss Soss, and indeed the first three generations of the female side of his family is loaded with stakes winners. Among them are Cuddles, who won the Hollywood Starlet (GI); Buffythecenterfold (Sorrento GII); Canadian champions Square Angel and Kamar; top producer Seaside Attraction (Kentucky Oaks GI), who is the dam of two-year-old champion filly Golden Attraction and Florida Derby (GI) Cape Town; $1.1 million earner Gorgeous (Apple Blossom GI); and Swain, champion older horse in Europe and an unfortunate third in the 1998 Breeders' Cup Classic (GI) at Churchill Downs. Afleet Alex is from the Hawkster mare Maggy Hawk. Hawkster is the world record holder at 1 1/2 miles on the turf. The stamina influence on his dam's side does not end there: multiple Grade One winner Hawaii, a marathon turf specialist, is the sire of our subject's second dam, Qualique, who won the Demoiselle (GI) at age two. In addition, Sir Gaylord, a half-brother to Secretariat, is the sire of his fourth dam. Maggy Hawk raced only four times, winning once. From her three foals, she has two stakes performers: the aforementioned Unforgettable Max and Afleet Alex.
Dosage Index: 2.11
CDSN » Churchill Downs Simulcast Network » 
