Sadly, there will be no Triple Crown winner in 2005 as Giacamo won the Kentucky Derby and Alfeet Alex captured the Preakness Stakes last Saturday. Afleet Alex's courageous victory in the second leg of racing's Triple Crown has another meaningful sidebar.

Afleet Alex, a bay son of Northern Alfeet, began his life fighting for survival. He was hand fed from a bottle after his dam couldn't produce milk, but overcame his difficult days as a weanling and became a top 2-year-old racehorse. He finished second in last year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile and was third in the 2005 Kentucky Derby. In addition to his standout performances on the racetrack, Afleet Alex continues to give hope to others fighting for survival. His owners were touched with the story of Alexandra "Alex" Scott, who was diagnosed with an aggressive childhood cancer called neuroblastoma.

She was just four years old when she asked her mother if she could open a lemonade stand to raise money to fight cancer. The courageous young girl started her first lemonade stand in July of 2000 and, as word spread, raised more than $1.6 million from donations worldwide. Sadly, Scott lost her battle with cancer in 2004, but her Foundation continues to grow and help others.

Afleet Alex's finish in the Kentucky Derby and victory in the Preakness Stakes fueled a great deal of interest in Alex's Lemonade Stand for Pediatric Cancer Research and Timothy Richey, trainer of the bay colt, urged all racing fans and racetracks to get involved in fundraising efforts.

"I said before, hopefully, Belmont day, I would move for every racetrack to have a lemonade stand on Belmont day throughout the entire United States and give a dollar to the lemonade stand or their local juvenile cancer fund,"
Ritchey said.

Sam Houston Race Park will heed that call and is pleased to announce plans to set up Alex's Lemonade Stand for Pediatric Cancer Research on Belmont Day, Saturday, June 11. The northwest Houston racetrack has teamed with Texas Children's Hospital to man lemonade stands on Belmont Day with sale proceeds and donations from racing fans to benefit this esteemed charity.

"Sure, we would have loved to be rooting for a Triple Crown winner on Saturday, June 11, but now there are several exciting horses headed toward the Belmont Stakes," said Robert L. Bork, president and general manager. "We look forward to a great day of simulcast racing at Sam Houston Race Park and to joining forces with Texas Children's Hospital to support this worthy cause."

Gates will open at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 11 and Sam Houston Race Park will simulcast the full card at Belmont Park including the running of the 136th Belmont Stakes. The northwest Houston racetrack will offer a free handicapping seminar and $2,000 Belmont Stakes Handicapping Contest.

For more information, or to make reservations in the Winner's Circle Restaurant, call (281) 807-8760.