Smarty Jones - The Inside Story - Part 1

An inside look at Smarty Jones' 2004 epic run for the elusive Triple Crown...


"He captivated a nation. Rival horseowners rooted for him. Trainers conceded defeat rather than try him. Rival jockeys compared him to Secretariat. And the press could not say enough good things about him.
Steve Haskin wrote: "There was nothing about him that wasn't great." From Andy Beyer: "Smarty Jones is worthy of the Triple Crown."

Chick Lang, who has seen 60 Preaknesses, called Smarty Jones' Preakness: "One of the best performances I've ever seen."

"He is the one we have been waiting for," wrote Mike Watchmaker.

And extraordinary Smarty Jones was. From his starting gate accident as a two-year-old that nearly cost his life to the heart-wrenching final sixteenth in the Belmont, he showed the grit, the heart, and the class of a champion.

Bred in Pennsylvania by Roy and Patricia Chapman and named for Mrs. Chapman's mother, Smarty Jones made his first start in the fall of his two-year-old season, and scored by 7 and 3/4 lengths.

Wheeled back 13 days later in the Pennsylvania Nursery, Smarty Jones posted a dominating 15-length victory in 1:21.88. That stakes win earned him a Beyer Speed Figure of 105, best in the nation for a two-year-old.

Smarty Jones began his three-year-old season in New York, with an imposing five length victory in the Count Fleet S. He followed that up with three impressive wins at Oaklawn, in the $100,000 Southwest S., $200,000 Rebel S., and $1,000,000 Arkansas Derby-G2.
In the Rebel, Smarty Jones earned the fastest Thoro-Graph speed figure ever given to a three-year-old. In the Arkansas Derby, he cleared the field at will and galloped out with something in reserve.

Just how much he had in reserve would be seen the first Saturday in May, in the Kentucky Derby.

Breaking quickly from the 13-hole, he bulled through traffic to gain a stalking position, where his agility and tactical speed were a clear advantage. Smarty Jones swept to the throatlatch of Lion Heart at the head of the stretch, and waged a stirring battle. The front runner couldn't stay with him and the closers could not catch him, as he stormed to victory, the first undefeated Kentucky Derby winner since Seattle Slew in 1977.

Two Saturdays later, Smarty Jones made history in the Preakness. In front of a record crowd, he exploded on the far turn to win by 11 and 1/2 lengths, breaking the margin record that had stood since 1875, and earning the best Beyer of the year for a three-year-old - 118.

It seemed the entire nation held its breath while Smarty Jones attempted to become the first Triple Crown winner in 26 years. In the 1 and 1/2 mile Belmont S.-G1 he was repeatedly tested by one opponent, then another. Smarty Jones ran his third quarter in :22.91, the fourth in :23.68, then sped past 10 furlongs in 2:00.52 - which would have won every Kentucky Derby but four.

Smarty Jones still had the lead at the eighth pole, but the fractions and the constant pressure had taken their toll, and he was passed in the final furlong. Even then, Smarty fought back, and the final margin was a scant length, with the third-place horse eight lengths behind.

Nine hard races in eight months brought Smarty Jones' career to a halt, and he retired with eight wins, one second in nine starts, and near-record earnings of $7,613,155."

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[711ATOM]

Thanks lengua92, I enjoyed both parts. While I`m not as much an admirer of Smarty Jones as some people (BE109 thinks the horse was just fantastic), clearly an excellent racer. 8 wins 1 second out of 9. I admirer how game the horse was, no quit, didn`t care about track or distance. He also backs my contention that its easier to find top talent among the little guys rather than the big ones. I as like the fact Smarty had a relatively high dosage index (thankfully that thing is dead now).