Afleet Alex arrives at Gulfstream

Afleet Alex, the overwhelming favorite to win the Eclipse Award in the 3-year-old division and also among the leading candidates for Horse of the Year honors, arrived at Gulfstream Park on Monday to begin preparations for his 4-year-old campaign.

Trainer Tim Ritchey, who sent out Afleet Alex to win the Preakness and Belmont Stakes after finishing third in the Kentucky Derby, will have a string stabled at Gulfstream for the first time this winter. He said he is hoping to have Afleet Alex ready to make his 2006 debut in the Sunshine Millions Classic at Santa Anita on Jan. 27.

Also arriving at Gulfstream on Monday was First Samurai, among the top members of this year's 2-year-old division. First Samurai, trained by Frank Brothers, concluded his juvenile campaign by finishing third as the 6-5 favorite in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile.