What the Favorites Eat
UNLIKE MANY jockeys, Jeremy Rose has little trouble staying light--at 5 feet he hovers naturally at 112 pounds "It's a blessing because there's no way I could do this [otherwise]," says Rose, who'll ride Preakness winner Afleet Alex in the Belmont on Saturday. "I like food too much." Here's what Rose, 26, consumes during a day at his home track, Delaware Park.
Breakfast (6:30 a.m.) Bagel with cream cheese (370 calories). "When I'm working in the morning, I don't have time to eat a full meal," says Rose. "I'm getting on the horses, I'm talking to trainers. I'll just eat it while I'm talking."
Lunch (11:30 a.m) Scrambled eggs and bacon (430 calories). But no bread--Rose doesn't eat carbs before riding. "I like to have a little bit in my stomach," he says, "but I can't eat a thing of lasagna and ride. I've done that, and it's bad. You're tired. You want to lie down."
Snack (between races, 12:45--4:30 p.m.) Snickers bar and a Gatorade (466 calories). "My valet keeps candy for me," says Rose. "It gives me a buzz. I love grape Gatorade. I may drink three 32-ounce bottles in a day. I'm not a big water person, never have been."
Dinner (7 p.m.) Barbecue (hot dog, 260 calories, or hamburger, 260, or filet mignon, 188). "Or I'll microwave Hot Pockets," says Rose of his beloved stuffed-meat entrées (367 calories). "I'll eat just about anything at night." Rose, who's single and lives in Elkton, Md., doesn't have dessert. "But when I go out to dinner, I love cheesecake with strawberries [305 calories]." --Ben Reiter
AFLEET'S EATS
Trainer Tim Ritchey gives Afleet Alex (1,000 pounds) about 18 pounds of horse feed a day. The feed is a mix of oats and numerous vitamins and is also high in beet pulp to aid digestion. The 3-year-old eats three times a day, at 5 a.m., an hour before a two-mile workout, at 11 a.m. and at 4 p.m. Like most horses Alex has a sweet tooth, and he loves peppermints. Ritchey gives him two or three a day but gave him a dozen in the 90 minutes after his Preakness win.
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COURTESY OF GATORADE (GATORADE)
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GREG KUCHIK/PHOTODISC GREEN/GETTY IMAGES (EGGS AND BACON)
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BILL FRAKES (ROSE ABOARD AFLEET ALEX)
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BURKE/TRIOLO PRODUCTIONS/BRAND X PICTURES/GETTY IMAGES (HAMBURGER, PEPPERMINT)
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CHRIS GARDNER/AP (AFLEET ALEX IN STALL)