Afleet Alex Aids Cancer Charity

BALTIMORE, May 21 -- Flush in the face of one of the most incredible Preakness victories in the race's 130 years, Afleet Alex's trainer Tim Ritchey managed to compose himself and talk about Alex's Lemonade Stand.

The pediatric cancer charity, created by Alexandra Scott when she was 4 years old in 2000, has raised more than $1 million as thousands of lemonade stands have been set up around the country.

"I would move for every racetrack to have a lemonade stand on Belmont [Stakes] day throughout the United States and give a dollar to the lemonade stand or their local juvenile cancer fund," Ritchey said. "And, like I said earlier, everybody who was fortunate enough to bet on this horse and make a little money, just take one dollar and donate it to Alex's Lemonade Stand . . . and maybe we can make the world a better place."

The breeder of Afleet Alex, John Silvertand, 60, suffers from terminal cancer, and the owners of the Cash Is King partnership that races Afleet Alex contributes winning purse money every time the horse runs.

Scott, who was diagnosed with cancer in 1997, died last year at age 8.

A lemonade stand set up at Churchill Downs the weekend of the Kentucky Derby raised $11,000. Another stand was set up Saturday at Pimlico.

Cool Conductor Wins Dixie

The marquee race on the Preakness undercard, the 104th running of the Grade II $200,000 Dixie, matched Artie Schiller, widely regarded as one of the finest turf horses in the country, against Better Talk Now, winner of the 2004 Breeders' Cup Turf.

Only three others trainers were brave enough to enter the 1 1/8 -mile race, but it paid off for Ralph Nicks as his Cool Conductor pulled off a shocking victory, beating Artie Schiller by a nose.

Cool Conductor, who had been beaten by Artie Schiller in the Makers Mark mile in April at Keeneland, was ignored by bettors at odds of 11-1 in the Dixie, but Nicks figured he was ready.

"When you can run with Artie Schiller and Better Talk Now, you have no reason to be ducking and diving so much," Nicks said.

Another Victory for Zito

Nick Zito won the $100,000 Sir Barton, a race for 3-year-olds a cut or two below the Preakness runners, for the second year in a row. His Pinpoint won the 1 1/16 -mile race in 1 minute 44.43 seconds to win by three-quarters of a length over Smokescreen.

"The farther he runs, the better he looks," Zito said after the race. "He has talent, and it looks like he is learning how to compete."

Film Maker is 'Special'

In the 54th running of the Grade III $100,000 Gallorette Handicap, favorite Film Maker, ridden by Jerry Bailey, stormed from last to first to win by a neck in 1:44.29. The 5-year-old mare, trained in Fair Hill, Md., by Graham Motion, hadn't run since finishing second to the great filly Oujia Board in the Breeders' Cup Fillies and Mare Turf in October at Lone Star Park.

Motion, fast becoming one of the most respected trainers of turf runners in the country, said Film Maker is the best he has ever had.

"She's a very special filly," he said. "She's so professional."

Wagers Could Set Record

Preliminary wagering handle figures showed Pimlico will likely smash all previous records as more than $85.2 million was bet from all sources on the day's race card. The Preakness alone, unofficially, handled more than $58 million.