Proven value sire AFLEET ALEX struck again on Thursday night when his son Skywire took home the Sovereign Award for Champion Older Main Track Male to become AFLEET ALEX’s fourth champion.
Skywire won two Grade 2 races in 2020 in a season that saw him hit the board in four of his five graded stakes attempts last season. It’s the latest feather in the cap of the Gary Barber and Lucio Tucci-owned gelding, who has finished in the top three in eight of his 16 career starts for nearly $400,000 in earnings.
Skywire, I am so proud of you. Sovereign award winner for older main track male. Thanks for being such a cool horse & always making my bad days better. pic.twitter.com/XayJGYxRGR
— Veronica Gizuk (@Vronn_G) April 15, 2021
Skywire is just the latest in a string of quality the dual classic winner throws year after year.
Standing for just $6,500, AFLEET ALEX has proven to sire horses at the top levels with his seven Grade 1 winners leading 36 worldwide stakes winners.
In fact, AFLEET ALEX‘s current racing crops aged three or older have been represented by no less than 78 stakes horses for a strike rate of 10% with stakes winners coming in all but one in all but one crop.
That group is led by dual Grade 1 winner Iotapa, who not only won two races at the highest level but also placed in four other Grade 1 events. Competing for multiple seasons in a division that included some of the best fillies and mares we’ve seen in this century, Iotapa ended her career with a close third in the Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) as one of three Breeders’ Cup winners or placers for her sire.
When talking of Breeders’ Cup winners, who could forget the massive last-to-first 6 ½ length domination by AFLEET ALEX’s Texas Red in the 2014 edition of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1)? The colt proved to be one of the best 3-year-olds the following year with his three stakes placings in four starts including a Jim Dandy (G2) win against a field that included the highly regarded Frosted.
Texas Red hasn’t been AFLEET ALEX’s only top level Kentucky Derby hopeful through the years however. The stallion saw Materiality take out the 2015 edition of the Florida Derby (G1) in front running style with only one horse within 14 lengths of him at the line.
Meanwhile, AFLEET ALEX’s Dublin struck early with a Hopeful Stakes (G1) win as a 2-year-old to enter Kentucky Derby talks in September of his 2-year-old year. He stayed in those talks the following spring when placing in three Kentucky Derby preps – including the Arkansas Derby (G1).
Proving that AFLEET ALEX provides massive value and quality for breeders, he continues to sire champions even from his later crops. In fact, Skywire is from his 10th crop with fellow champion Dolkong from his eighth.
Looking for an added bonus when breeding to AFLEET ALEX? He is also the broodmare sire of a Kentucky Derby (G1) hopeful in Wood Memorial (G2) winner Bourbonic, who comes in the classics only two years after AFLEET ALEX grandson Sir Winston followed in his damsire’s footsteps with a win in the Belmont Stakes (G1).