NEW YORK -- Harry Aleo has been waiting a lifetime for a horse like Lost in the Fog. Now that he ... Lost in the Fog's Owne

NEW YORK -- Harry Aleo has been waiting a lifetime for a horse like Lost in the Fog. Now that he has him, the 85-year-old owner plans to be along for every ride his undefeated colt takes him on.

"It's been unbelievable, mind-boggling. I'm nervous right now," said Aleo, whose 3-year-old son of Lost Soldier will be the overwhelming favorite in the $1 million Breeders' Cup Sprint on Saturday.

Aleo's prized possession is on the verge of racing history. No pure sprinter has ever been voted an Eclipse Award for top 3-year-old colt or for Horse of the Year, but that could change in a matter of six furlongs. After 10 dominating wins at eight racetracks, Lost in the Fog is a major attraction in a Breeders' Cup that's missing a marquee name.

Meanwhile, Aleo, who purchased the horse privately for a reported $140,000, has been turning down offers from $8 to $12 million for the horse of his dreams.

"He's getting a lot of enjoyment out of this," Gilchrist said Tuesday on a windy, rainy morning at Belmont as an inquisitive Lost in the Fog peered out of his stall. "He doesn't need the money."

Ironically, Aleo, who names his horses with Bay Area references, almost missed out on Lost in the Fog. Offered at auction in Ocala, Fla., last year, Aleo bid $195,000 -- which was under the reserve of $199,000. The colt was returned to his owner, but a few weeks later, Aleo was able to purchase him privately.

For Aleo, that kind of luck is not unusual. A successful businessman in the Bay Area since starting Twin Peaks Properties in 1947, he became interested in racing in 1979 when a son-in-law gave him a book titled, "How to Make Money When Your Horse Loses." He met Gilchrist and the two have been together since.

Gilchrist trains anywhere from 6-10 horses for Aleo, all based in Northern California. Names have included Harding Park (site of golf's recent American Express Championship), Frisco Fog and Baker Beach. Aleo and Gilchrist previously sent out one Breeders' Cup starter -- finishing second by a nose with Soviet Problem in the 1994 Sprint.

Aleo, who once played minor league baseball with the Brooklyn Dodgers' organization, plans to travel East on Thursday. His idea of a good time is to hang out in his hotel the next day and go to the track Saturday.

Before his last start, at hometown track Bay Meadows in San Mateo, the colt was applauded by hundreds of Foggy followers when he entered the paddock. After winning the Speed Handicap by 7 3/4 lengths, the crowd of more than 8,000 roared until Lost in the Fog walked back to the barn.

The muscular colt has been cheered everywhere: at Turf Paradise in Arizona, where he set a track record for 6 1/2 furlongs and won by 14 3/4 lengths in his second start; at Gulfstream Park, where he won the Sunshine Millions Dash and the Swale Stakes; and at all three New York tracks, where he won the Bay Shore at Aqueduct, the Riva Ridge at Belmont and the Grade 1 King's Bishop at Saratoga.

By design, Lost in the Fog was never on the Triple Crown trail, the usual path to popularity in racing these days. Think Afleet Alex, Smarty Jones and Funny Cide. But because he's undefeated, and probably because his owner, trainer and jockey (Russell Baze) are not well known, Lost in the Fog is catching on with the public.

So, the six-furlong Sprint at Belmont could be a huge deal if Lost in the Fog polishes off as many as 11 rivals. And Aleo won't have anything to be nervous about -- until next year, anyway.

This is cache, read story here