Afleet Alex owners to receive Special Eclipse Award

By: SPORTS NETWORK

New York, NY (Sports Network) - The National Thoroughbred Racing Association announced Monday that the owners of Afleet Alex, Cash is King Stable, will be honored with the 2005 Special Eclipse Award. The award recognizes outstanding individual achievements in, or contributions to, the sports of thoroughbred racing.

Afleet Alex won the 2005 Preakness and Belmont Stakes and placed third in the Kentucky Derby, coming within a length of capturing the Triple Crown. His Belmont victory proved to be the colt's last race after he suffered a slight fracture of his left front leg while in preparation for the Haskell Invitational.

Afleet Alex is also a finalist for the Eclipse Award as champion three-year- old of 2005. He is also considered a strong candidate for Horse of the Year.

Cash is King Stable became involved with Alex's Lemonade Stand, a unique foundation that raised money for cancer research. In 2000, four-year-old cancer patient Alexandra Scott began holding a lemonade stand to raise money to help find a cure for the disease.

Unfortunately, Alexandra Scott died on August 1, 2004. The following month Cash is King Stable announced that a portion of Afleet Alex's winnings would be donated to Alex's Lemonade Stand.

Alex Lemonade Stands soon began popping up at racetracks around the country. The charity raised more than $3.5 million in 2005.

The members of the stable will be presented with the Special Eclipse Award on Monday, January 23 at the 35th annual Eclipse Awards held in Beverly Hills.