The largest crowd in the history of Belmont Park assembled to see if Smarty Jones could become a Triple Crown winner. At 3-10 he was one Smarty Jones was one of the shortest-priced favorites the “Test of the Champion,” has seen. A very New York team of Marylou Whitney, Nick Zito, and Edgar Prado spoiled the party as longshot Birdstone rallied late to deny him.
Final time: 2:27 2/5
Owner: Marylou Whitney Stables
Trainer: Nicholas Zito
Jockey: Edgar Prado
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This race is like the 2016 POTUS elections …
OMG..The utter MASTERY of the language in this call. The Secretariat call was a distant second and I LOVE the Secrariat account. Durkin allowed the blind to see this race. WOW wow Wow
Smartie started to slow the minute that ldiot jocket started to whip him. you can actually see him throw his head at the first swat. He won the Preakness without being touched.
Believe or Not, I really dont care. This was the biggest score I ever made of a single race. I had $100.00 to win on the "4" Birdstone. Boxed a $20.00 Exacta, Birdstone and Smarty Jones. Keyed Birdstone with Smarty Jones/ with All in Tri.. Thank you Jerry Bailey, with Eddington. Bailey softened Smarty Jones. Stewart Elliot took the bait. Payout: $2.00 Win Bet "4" Birdstone $74.00- $2.00 Exacta Box " 4/9" Birdstone, Smarty Jones Payed $139.00
$2.00 Trifecta Birdstone/with/Smarty Jones/ with ALL Payed $1,589.00. Edgar Prado could ride then and he is still riding at Laurel…Good Luck to all of the Horse Players
I cry every time I see this video as the adrenaline flows.
I hit the fat exacta box on that one. Watched it at work in the simulcast studio at River Downs. All the needledick punks I worked with, my mgr Tom and co worker Charles lost tons of money and were trash talking me before the race. I gave it right back to them and they were ready to fight me . I said suck it wuss boys , jump like a frog whenever you're ready. All talk. I was sorta bummed smarty didn't win, but hey like Bobby Frankel said:"I like money"
I remember the owners of Birdstone apologizing to the media for winning the race & playing the spoilers.
Too bad Smarty did not have Justify's 1:13 plus first 3/4
Great call by the commentator even with the obvious disappointment at the end.
I was in attendance. The air coming out of the balloon was amazing silence and utter shock with those last final strides. The good part for me was also being in attendance in 2105…American Pharaoh.
I was at Belmont on this day and I so vididly remembered the complete and total silence of.the 120,000+ after Birdstone crossed the finished line ahead of Smarty Jones. People were schocked, in disbelief, speechless. To this day, I still wished Smarty Jones won this race.
THEY PUT A CHASER OUT FRONT TO PUSH SMARTY AND IT WORKED THEY TIRED HIM ENOUGH FOR THE CLOSER TO COME ON AND WIN ..
I was working at river downs that day in the Charlson broadcasting simulcast studio and had the exacta box. My coworkers were yellin at me bec I was happy. Told them to hug it. like bobby frankel said after empire maker won , "hey I like money ". They finally tore down that hole of race track River Downs. Mice everywhere, co-workers passing out from Vicodin od's and the fire alarms don't work.
That was so disappointing when Smarty lost. But he tried so hard, and it was a good race…a SUPER close one. Poor Smarty Jones just got tired after being pushed, and couldn't handle it (and as others have already said, he wasn't bred for distance, but still did excellent).
The track announcer seemed really miffed that Birdstone won.
Befor American Pharoah Triple Crown Smarty Jones was the closest in 37 years to almost win the Triple Crown.
Track was fast; pace was reasonable considering the speed of the track; Stewart Elliott had a good hold on Smarty Jones and only asked him from a furlong out. Maybe Birdstone ran a huge one and won it?
John Servis took the blame for having the horse too keyed up. Probably wasn't his fault either – Birdstone was bred for distance and Smarty Jones was not.
Durkin,he really wants to see a Triple Crown,Too bad,after he retire AP,got it,…
This is when I got my Horse Racing Betting Feber!!!
The greatest race call of all time…and one of the most disappointing losses ever.
Durkin sounds so disappointed in the last 100 feet.
"but birdstone is going to make him earn it today!" great call
At that point in time smarty Jones had buried this entire field all winter/spring elliot rode him correctly he had thee best horse and he knew it….just got tired at the end ..what a great race the crowd was loud!! Like to see triple crown this year (2015)
Stewart couldn't get Smarty to settle. Plus there were rabbits in there and made Smarty get competitive to early.Â
The pace was slow, so the SJ jock let him go early. Most of the time, with the best horse, this will work. Give Birdsong credit for catching the leader off slow fractions.
Nothing really wrong with the ride. Was actually a good ride. Splits were good. If he stalked he would have got tired sooner. Smarty ran 4 races in less than 2 months, plus his pedigree is more of a 1 1/8m let alone the Classic distance. Top and bottom he wasn't built for 1 1/2m. l'll Have Another would have been a Triple Crown winner, want a shame…
What an awful ride by Stewart Elliott! That's what happens you don't know the Belmont track.
would someone explain…Why did the Jockey of Smarty Jones not hold him back from leading the race so soon? Â Why is it believed that it was a deliberate attempt to cost Smarty Jones the Triple Crown when clearly the jockey on SJ allowed him to lead the race too early? Â Had he held him back a little longer maybe SJ would have had a bit more left? Â I am asking a genuine question. Â I don't know enough about horse racing strategy to understand. Â What I see is SJ going out too early in front when it is such a long race. Â Is it a genuine concern to try to stay in the lead so that your horse doesn't get boxed in by the horses that pass you??? Â Thank you in advance for answering my question.
At this 2004 Belmont in New York, Elmont there was no way the powers that be up there were going to let a philly horse win the T Crown ,horse racing most prestigious event , that is why they buried those horses just so that Smarty would not win that triple. That is why people say that they Hate New York!!! It will be that way forever, sadly but I hope not true, but sadly.
Smarty Jones ended up being someone's dinner. Win next time!
That was a shame smarty jones was clealy the best horse that triple crown season the jockey had to hold him back, he blew that race and that bonus.
Jockey of Smarty Jones blew it…….Save the horse till the end….
My heart aches every time.