Afleet Express prevailed by a nose in one of the most thrilling runnings in the 141-year history of the Grade 1, $1 million Travers. The 3-year-old son of Afleet Alex nipped Fly Down by a the narrowest of margins after the top pair dueled side by side for the final furlong.

Afleet Express settled into the middle of the pack as Miner’s Reserve led the field of 11 through fractions of 23.42, 47.25 and 1:11.39, Afleet Express began picking off rivals with a half-mile to go in the 10-furlong race. Moving up along the inside on the far turn, Javier Castellano swung Afleet Express out at the top of the lane into the lead with Fly Down coming widest of all to hook up as they headed to the eighth pole. Battling as one to the wire, the pair stopped the clock in 2:03.58.

On the gallop out, neither Castellano and Jose Lezcano, who rode Fly Down, knew who won.

“What do you think?” asked Lezcano.

“Either way,” replied Castellano.

Afleet Express, owned by Gainesway Farm and Martin Cherry, earned $600,000 for the win, bolstering his earnings to $835,140. He was bred in Kentucky by McMillin Brothers and James Devaney.

Afleet Express' record stands at 4-1-1 from seven starts, including a victory in the Grade 3 Pegasus H. at Monmouth Park in his first start around two turns on June 19.

Afleet Express is the second Grade I winner of the past eight days sold at public auction by Gainesway. Afleet Express is a graduate of the 2008 Keeneland January Sale, where he brought $245,000. His Travers win comes on the heels of last weekend's Secretariat S. (G1) win by Paddy O'Prado, who sold at the 2008 Keeneland September Sale.

Coming off a third-place finish behind A Little Warm and Miner’s Reserve in the Jim Dandy on July 31, the dark bay colt had trained superbly into the Travers, which represented the first-ever Travers starter for trainer Jimmy Jerkens.

“I guess this is probably the highlight [of my career],” said Jerkens, who stables in New York most of the year. “And at Saratoga, it seems to be extra special.”

Though Afleet Express stole the show, another Afleet Alex colt, Afleet Again, made a good showing in the Travers. In tenth place after a mile, he launched a huge rally in the stretch to wind up fourth.

Afleet Again is owned by Cash Is King LLC, the owners of Afleet Alex and also the 2-year-old filly Alexandra Rylee, sharp winner of the second race of the day on the Travers card.