Smarty Jones seeks Triple Crown glory
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ELMONT, N.Y. — What the smallish colt named Smarty Jones can accomplish in today's 136th Belmont Stakes is so astonishing that trainer John Servis said he couldn't have imagined it when he started on the Kentucky Derby path in January.
"Our goal was to get to the Kentucky Derby, and we didn't think one race past that," Servis said yesterday at Belmont Park. "The fact that we're going into the Belmont and we've got a shot to win the Triple Crown is something that we never even dreamt about."
But the pride of Pennsylvania is 1-1/2 miles away from immortality if he can win the $1 million Belmont to become racing's first Triple Crown winner in 26 years — and the 12th overall.
At 2-5 odds on the morning line, undefeated Smarty Jones is expected to be the shortest-priced Belmont favorite since Spectacular Bid's Triple Crown bid was dashed when he finished third at 3-10 in 1979.
A triumph in his ninth race would make Smarty Jones North America's first eight-figure earner at $13,013,155 — thanks to two $5 million bonuses, one from credit-card company Visa for a Triple Crown sweep and one given by Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark., when he swept that track's two biggest preps plus the May 1 Kentucky Derby.
"If Purge doesn't win, I'm rooting for Smarty Jones," said Todd Pletcher, trainer of Purge, the Peter Pan Stakes winner who is 0 for 2 against Smarty. "But the game wouldn't be on the up and up if I didn't go over there trying to beat him. ... The best thing that could happen to Thoroughbred racing is for Smarty Jones to win. The worst thing would be for nobody to show up to try to beat him."
This is the sixth time in the last eight years a horse has come into the Belmont with the Triple Crown on the line. But unlike the bids of Silver Charm, Real Quiet, Charismatic, War Emblem and Funny Cide, many observers believe only Smarty Jones can stop Smarty Jones in the field of nine.
Bobby Frankel, trainer of Master David, openly said his goal is second place and that he is instructing jockey Jose Santos to ignore Smarty Jones and compete against the seven other horses.
"Say Smarty Jones is three or four (lengths) in front down the backside, I don't want my jockey chasing him to try to beat him," Frankel said. "I want to try to beat the rest of them.
"There's only one other scenario I see. That's if Purge gets to an easy lead and the jock on Smarty Jones (Stewart Elliott) is scared to go to him too early and chokes him back a little bit — and Purge keeps going. I can't see anyone else winning."
When Frankel won the Belmont last year with Empire Maker, derailing Funny Cide's Triple Crown quest, his horse was booed heading back to the winner's circle.
"It will probably be worse this year," Frankel said of any upset. "You've got a whole state that will be mad."
Smarty Jones is the only horse to compete in all three Triple Crown races this year. Rock Hard Ten finished second (beaten by 11-1/2 lengths) and Eddington third (13-1/2 lengths) in the Preakness in their only encounter.
The forecast mentions rain, but Smarty Jones took the Arkansas Derby and Kentucky Derby on wet tracks.