Does Smarty Jones Have a Date With Destiny?© Greg Melikov
May 24, 2004
Twenty-two horses between 1944 and 2003 entered the Belmont Stakes one race away from the Triple Crown. Seventeen tasted defeat, starting with Pensive 60 years ago.
The list of disappointing 3-year-olds includes five in the last seven years, with Real Quiet in '98 and Silver Charm in '97 coming the closest. Both finished second like Pensive.
Does Smarty Jones have a date with destiny on June 5? It appears he has a really big chance to take the Triple Crown. If he does, he will become the only 3-year-old besides Seattle Slew ('77) to finish the historic run undefeated while becoming the first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed ('78).
Last year, Funny Cide charmed America with outstanding victories in the initial two jewels of the Triple Crown. Smarty Jones has done the same, no, even more.
Now it comes down to the biggest hurdle. In the last decade, Real Quiet had his Victory Gallop, losing by a nose, and Silver Charm had his Touch Go, defeated by three-quarters of a length.
Smarty Jones galloped 1 ½ last Saturday before a crowd estimated at 8,500 at Philadelphia Park. Following his appearance, trainer John Servis told a press conference: "You have to watch it with (Smarty Jones) because he wants to train so hard and you have to watch that he doesn't over-train himself. So it's always a day-to-day thing with him. Today was awesome. I mean he relaxed so good. I was a little concerned with all the people, but he handled it well."
"Every day he impresses me more and more. He was so professional, and that's what's making him the horse that he is. As far as a workout, I'm thinking some time toward the end of next week."
Can any challenger prevent Smarty Jones from becoming the 12th Triple Crown champion? One thing is sure, the field will be considerably smaller that the Kentucky Derby or Preakness.
The 136th Belmont likely will attract no more than six other colts. Rock Hard Ten, who finished 11 ½ lengths behind in the Preakness, is coming to Elmont, N.Y. So is Eddington, two lengths further back. So is Tapit, ninth in the Kentucky Derby.
Trainer Nick Zito hopes to enter three: The Cliff's Edge, back in training after bruising his right front foot after throwing two shoes and running fifth in the Kentucky Derby; Birdstone, eighth at Louisville, and Royal Assault, who won the Sir Barton Stakes on the Preakness undercard. Zito is 0 for 11 in the Belmont.
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