Afleet (1984 - 2014) was a Canadian-bred

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are ...

racehorse who was voted the 1987

Canadian Horse of the Year The Canadian Horse of the Year is a thoroughbred horse racing honour given annually since 1951 by the Jockey Club of Canada. It is the most prestigious honour in Canadian thoroughbred horse racing. Part of the Sovereign Awards program since 1975, ...

and Canadian Champion Three-Year-Old Colt.

Career

Afleet's best season came in 1987 during his three-year-old campaign, in which he won six races in ten starts. These wins include the

Jerome Handicap The Jerome Stakes is a stakes race for thoroughbred horses run each January at Aqueduct Racetrack. Open to three year olds, the race is run at one mile and carries a purse of $150,000. It is a Road to the Kentucky Derby qualifying race, with the wi ...

(G1) and

Pennsylvania Derby The Pennsylvania Derby is a race for thoroughbred horses run at Parx Racing and Casino (formerly known as Keystone Race Track, then from 1986 through 2010 as Philadelphia Park) each year. The track's premiere event is open to horses, age three, ...

(G2) in the United States plus the Friar Rock Stakes,

Queenston Stakes The Queenston Stakes is a Canadian Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario. Run in early May, the stakes race is open to three-year-old horses who were foaled in the Province of Ontario. Raced over a distan ...

and

Plate Trial Stakes The Plate Trial Stakes is a Canadian Thoroughbred flat horserace for three-Year-Olds, foaled in Canada run annually at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario. Raced in early June, the -mile race on dirt is considered one of the most important prep ...

in Canada. He also placed in the Meadowlands Cup Handicap (G1) and the

Queen's Plate The King's Plate (known as the Queen's Plate between 1860 to 1901 and 1952 to 2022) is Canada's oldest Thoroughbred horse race, having been founded in 1860. It is also the oldest continuously run race in North America. It is run at a distance of ...

. Afleet's only finished below third on two occasions with a fifth place in the

Marine Stakes The Marine Stakes is a Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Held in mid May, it is open to three-year-old horses and is contested over a distance of miles (8.5 furlongs) on Polytrack synthetic dir ...

, and a tenth-place finish in the Breeders Cup Classic (G1). As a four-year-old in 1988 he won the

Toboggan Handicap The Toboggan Stakes, formerly the Toboggan Handicap, is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually during the first week of March at Aqueduct Race Track in Queens, New York. Open to horses aged three and older, the Grade III event is contest ...

(G3) and finished second in the

Metropolitan Handicap The Metropolitan Handicap, frequently called the "Met Mile", is an American Grade I Thoroughbred horse race held at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Open to horses age three and older, it is contested on dirt over a distance of one mile (8 fu ...

(G1) and

Carter Handicap The Carter Handicap is a Grade I American Thoroughbred horse race for three-years-old and older run over a distance of seven furlongs run annually in early April at Aqueduct Racetrack. Race history First run in 1895, the race was named for B ...

(G1), and ran third in the

Breeders' Cup Sprint The Breeders' Cup Sprint is an American Weight for Age Grade I Thoroughbred horse race for horses three years old and older. Run on dirt Corrected grade for Santa Anita sprintover a distance of 6 Furlongs ( mile), the race has been held annually s ...

(G1) and

Massachusetts Handicap The Massachusetts Handicap, frequently referred to as the "MassCap", was a flat thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds and up held annually at Suffolk Downs in East Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It was an ungraded stakes race run ...

(G2).

Retirement

Afleet was retired to stud in 1989 and stood at

Taylor Made Farm Taylor Made Farm is a 1,600-acre Thoroughbred racehorse breeding farm in Jessamine County, Kentucky, and is a leading consignor of Thoroughbred horses. The farm is owned and operated by four brothers, Duncan, Ben, Frank and Mark Taylor with thei ...

who had bought an interest in him while still racing. His North American progeny included Canadian Champion A Fleet's Dancer, Grade 1 winners Flat Fleet Feet and Twist Afleet. He also produced the Grade 2 winner,

Northern Afleet Northern Afleet (January 23, 1993 - June 1, 2018) was an American thoroughbred racehorse and sire. He is best known as the sire of dual Triple Crown Classic winner Afleet Alex and Breeders' Cup winners World Approval and Amazombie Background ...

, who is a successful sire standing in Kentucky. His progeny includes the 2005

Preakness Preakness may refer to: * The Preakness or Preakness Stakes, an American flat thoroughbred horse race held in Baltimore, Maryland * Preakness (horse), an American thoroughbred racehorse from Preakness Stables * Preakness, New Jersey, a section of W ...

and Belmont Stakes winner, Afleet Alex. In 1990 Afleet was sold to Japanese breeders, he continued producing grade 1 winners such as Big Wolf and Bamboo Ere, along with multi-millionaire Preeminence. Afleet sired over 60 stakes winners in 21 foal crops.

Death

Afleet was pensioned from stud service in 2011. He later died in 2014 at the age of 30 where he stood at Breeder's Stallion Station in Japan.{{cite web, title=Afleet, Canadian champion and sire, dies at 30, url=http://www.drf.com/news/afleet-canadian-champion-and-sire-dies-30, accessdate=10 December 2017

References

Thoroughbred family 1-h 1984 racehorse births 2014 racehorse deaths Racehorses bred in Canada Racehorses trained in Canada