While Afleet Alex has developed a popular following among racing fans for his talent and consistency — Saturday’s win was his seventh from 11 starts — the generosity of his small-time owners, collectively known as Cash is King Stable, made him a cause célèbre in the fight against cancer when his story was publicized during the run-up to the Kentucky Derby.

His breeder, John Silvertand, was diagnosed with colon cancer nearly three years ago, shortly after Afleet Alex was born, and given just three months to live. But the 60-year-old former Royal Air Force pilot instead drove to Louisville from Lake Worth, Fla., with his family to attend the Derby as a guest of Afleet Alex’s owners.

“The horse keeps me going,” Silvertand told the Associated Press before the Derby. “I truly believe he’s helping me in my battle.”

The owners — Joe Lerro, Chuck Zacney, Jennifer Reeves, Bob Brittingham and Joe Judge — also decided to battle the disease in another way, by donating a percentage of the colt’s earnings, now more than $2.15 million, to a charity started by a courageous young cancer victim.

Alexandra “Alex” Scott was diagnosed with an aggressive form of childhood cancer called neuroblastoma shortly before her first birthday.

She ultimately lost her fight against the disease, but not before planting a seed that gives new meaning to the saying, “When life hands you lemons, make lemonade.”

At the tender age of 4, Alex decided to raise money to give to the hospital where she was undergoing cancer treatment. With her parents, Jay and Liz, she came up with a tried-and-true approach: A lemonade stand in the front yard.

The stand was a success, not just for the 50 cent sales that soon turned into more than $2,000 but for the word that soon spread about her inspirational fight. After local media reports on her fundraising drive, similar stands popped up around the country.

Alex died last year on Aug. 1 at the age of 8, but not before seeing the fund that she started with her little lemonade stand grow into the Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation. (http://www.alexslemonade.com/) To date, the foundation established by her parents has raised more than $1.6 million.

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Alex didn’t live long enough to meet Afleet Alex (so named because three of the owners have children named Alex), but after reading about her story the colt’s owners phoned the Scotts and said they would like to donate a portion of the horse’s winnings to her cause. Even before his third-place finish and Preakness victory, that had amounted to more than $5,000.

Alex’s Lemonade Stand also raised $12,000 at Churchill Downs on Derby day selling lemonade and T-shirts and other collectibles. Volunteers also set up two stands at Pimlico, though it was not immediately known how much they raised.

Ritchey, Afleet Alex’s trainer, also urged bettors who backed the colt in the Preakness to donate even a small portion of their winnings to Alex’s Lemonade Stand or a juvenile cancer charity in their area.

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