Preakness won by Afleet Alex, Kentucky Derby Winner Third

May 22, 2005

The 130th running of the Preakness Stakes was attended by a record crowd of 115,318 people in the historic Pimlico Downs. Favorite Afleet Alex evaded near disaster to win the $1,000,000 graded stakes and the second leg of the triple crown. The race ended the hopes of long shot Giacomo for the triple crown, which includes the Kentucky Derby, The Preakness Stakes, and the Belmont Stakes.

At the top of the home stretch the front-runner Scrappy T bolted to the right in response to a whip change by his Jockey Ramon Dominguez. Afleet Alex was blocked by T's rump and his neck was forced to the left. The horse was forced to its knees but stayed on its feet, rocketing to the inside of Scrappy T to take the win by 4 1/2 lengths going away. Scrappy T held on for second, Kentucky Derby winner Giacomo finished third, and Sun King took fourth.

The winner paid $8.60. He topped a $152.60 exacta ($2), a $872 triple (trifecta) ($2) and a $10,362.30 superfecta ($1).