LAUREL, MD – The blue-collar horse from the blue-collar track came to Baltimore for the 2004 Preakness Stakes (G1) and obliterated the record for the largest margin of victory.
Has it really been 20 years since the horse with the snappy name became the four-legged folk hero of seemingly every man, woman and child in the United States?
Yes, it has.
In 2004, at the 129th running of the Preakness, a horse named Smarty Jones continued to grow his legend when he rolled down the Pimlico Race Track and won by the staggering margin of 11 ½ lengths. No horse before – or since – has dominated the Middle Jewel like Smarty did.
“To be honest with you, it seems like it was a week ago,” said John Servis, who trained the colt who became one of the biggest stories in all of sports.
Smarty Jones came to Baltimore after winning the Kentucky Derby (G1) by 2 ¾ lengths.
He was the second Pennsylvania-bred to win the Run for the Roses, joining Lil E. Tee, who won in 1992.
His resume sparkled as he was undefeated after seven starts heading into the Preakness.
Smarty Jones and Servis called Philadelphia Park – now Parx Racing – home. It quickly became a mecca for fans of the chestnut colt, who was owned by Roy and Pat Chapman, who lived in Pennsylvania.
“We had no idea how crazy it was going to get,” Servis said. “And it got real crazy.”
After he won the Derby, masses of people flocked to Philadelphia Park in hopes of getting a glimpse of Smarty when he trained. The media descended on the tiny track and Servis obliged everyone. It was something he felt he had to do.
“I wanted to give back to the business and I felt this was the opportunity to finally do that,” said Servis, 65, and still training horses at Parx. “Wanted to let everyone in on the ride and enjoy it. I just opened the book and let everyone start reading, man.”
Between the Derby and the running of the Preakness, news was all about Smarty and Servis and jockey Stewart Elliot and Roy and Pat Chapman. Once the team got to Baltimore, the only one who didn’t seem all keyed up was Smarty himself.
On the day of the Preakness, the son of Elusive Quality would attempt to become the fifth Pennsylvania-bred in history – and first since 1910 – to win the Middle Jewel of the Triple Crown. Smarty was interested in just one thing as he lounged in the stall reserved for the Kentucky Derby champion in the Preakness Stakes Barn.
“We literally had to get him up to get him ready for the Preakness,” Servis said. “He had been sleeping all day … just spread out, snoozing! He would’ve slept through the race.”
Once he got on the track, Smarty Jones was wide awake, and he put the other nine Preakness runners to bed. Smarty Jones was now undefeated in eight starts and looked like a shoo-in to win the Triple Crown.
In his first eight starts, Smarty Jones had never been passed by a horse.
A Triple Crown sweep was not to be as his bid was denied by Birdstone three weeks later in the Belmont Stakes (G1).
“He was definitely a horse of a lifetime,” Servis said. “He had uncanny speed, and he could carry that speed for a long way.”
Smarty Jones never raced after the Belmont, being retired that August due to chronic bruising of the bottom of the cannon bone in all four fetlock joints.
He has resided as a stallion at Rodney Eckenrode’s Equistar Farm near Annville, Pa, which is about 90 miles from Parx. Servis said he hasn’t seen Smarty in a while but has planned a visit.
Preakness 149 will have a Pennsylvania-bred in the field in the form of Uncle Heavy, who also comes from Parx with his trainer, Butch Reid Jr. Having a horse in the Triple Crown series is a big deal to the Parx horsemen, and Servis will be rooting for Uncle Heavy.
“It’s exciting for us at Parx,” Servis said before his mind wandered back to 2004 and Smarty. “He really was awesome. You hope to get another one, but you know you’ll never get another one like him.”