Mountain Flood Takes Afleet Alex Stakes!

Mountain Cat has sired five stakeswinners this year already, including one out of a Danzig mare who won a stakes at this distance at this track two weeks ago. Wouldn’t THAT be an interesting coincidence to see this colt do the same! ~ Rowdy, BTB, 11/03/05

Well, I guess stranger things have happened! Mountain Flood must have read the preview and been inspired by the challenge. The big red colt came seemingly out of nowhere to capture the Minnesota Raceday Festival Afleet Alex Stakes by 1/4 of a length.

Sting Like A Bee and The Curse Lives were the first ones out of the gate, unchallenged by anyone else in the field. By the halfway point, The Curse Lives was slowly inching up on Sting Like A Bee, cutting into his lead, and a group of horses running midpack kicked into their next gear. At the top of the stretch, it was like a starter’s gun had gone off…Ten Bold Affairs, Missed Out Twice, and Mountain Flood all took off together, and, further back but closing like a couple of freight trains, Preachintothechoir and Mr Bossy Pants looked like a pair of top fuel dragsters leaving the line when the Christmas tree went green.

It was a bit of a mess as they came down to the wire, with five horses flying together, each one hoping his momentum would be enough to make him the one in front at the line. Just a furlong from the finish, Mountain Flood put himself in the lead. The hard-charging Mr Bossy Pants got up for second, while Preachintothechoir and Ten Bold Affairs were in a photo for third and fourth respectively. Missed Out Twice was fifth.

Mountain Flood’s final speed for the race was a very nice 85. To show just how close this race was, Mr Bossy Pants, Preachintothechoir and Ten Bold Affairs all ran an 84. Missed Out Twice was at 83, The Curse Lives 82, and Sting Like A Bee 81. The next nine were all between 78 and 72. I am sure some of these youngsters will meet again, and, given the exciting race we had here today, I will definitely be looking forward to it!