Smarty Jones...Horse #9 in the 11th race at Belmont.

[napi21]

Am I crazy, or is this just weird?

I rooting for this great underdog horse who they keep saying came from the wrong side of the tracks!

The beginning of Belmont coverage is starting at 4:30pm EST. I'm going to watch all of it! It's also a great way to get away from all the Gipper coverage!!!!!

[Eurobabe]

1. Go Philly BOY!

when's the race, I heard 6:38pm?

[Trajan]

10. 6:38 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME

5:38 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME ...

4:38 MOUNTAIN DAYLIGHT TIME ...

3:38 PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME ....

DONT miss it ...

[mot78]

2. For some odd reason, I was getting afraid that the race would be cancelled

because of Reagan's death. Thank God it hasn't been. For lurking Freepers out there, take your mind off of his death with something that will hopefully be positive: a horse revitalizing his sport in the same way your man revitalized the GOP and winning the Triple Crown.

[kentuck]

3. Go Smarty !

I'll be pulling for him. There is something transferred and translated from great horses to mankind..I sometimes think.

[Spazito]

4. I'm rooting for Smarty Jones, the jockey is CANADIAN!

Reminds me of a time when we used to get along! American horse, Canadian jockey, winning team.

[Don_G]

7. I'm Rooting For The Team Too

Just don't be too disappointed when they don't bring the Stanley Cup back to Canada.

[Spazito]

9. Who says it can't be a "two-fer" for Canada today!

LOL Honesty forces me to admit, with my head hung down in shame, I FORGOT about the game until you reminded me, thanks!

[Submariner]

5. Thanks for the heads up on this napi21

I would have missed this if you didn't remind me.

[kentuck]

6. Kick for that fucking great horse, Smarty Jones !

Greatness is as greatness does... :)

[Trajan]

8. YEAH Smarty ! ...

I have REALLY enjoyed this rags to riches story ...

WIN one for the little guy ! ....

GO Smarty !

[kentuck]

11. Kicking for Smarty !

Even with all the news that's happening, this is the story of the day!

[Spazito]

12. Kick

if for no other reason than it is NOT a Reagan thread!

[Eurobabe]

13. Horses on the way over to the paddock

getting closer to race time now...

[spotbird]

14. kick nt

[caffefwee]

15. It's wait until next year

The triple crown is getting to be like the Red Sox.

[caffefwee]

16. hey if Cheney gets dropped, make room for smarty

The ticket of smarty jones and dummy bush!

[RedEagle]

17. Smarty Couldn't Outrun His Pedigree

Smarty is a good horse. But his sire seemed to be a top miler.

My guess is, as they say, Smarty couldn't outrun his pedigree. In other words, he couldn't go the distance.

His trainer said he wasn't "settling" and I think Smarty turned on the after burners too soon.

If your horse can't really go the distance, you have to ride the race to conserve, fool the others on the actual pace, and then you might pull it off. Smarty was running too hard too soon to do that.

Everyone sounded over confident when they needed to realize he was born to run shorter distances. (And I wanted him to win, too)

Smarty did an amazing thing in the Preakess, he turned his speed on and off. He came on again when asked. Didn't seem as aimiable in the Belmont to do that and if you can't save the horse for a long race, you are going to be tired in the stretch and a come from behind horse has the advantage if they don't run out of room to catch you.

Smarty needed a different spot in the gate, be on the rail if the footing was allright, and be the come from behind horse in this race.

The really great can sprint and run long, lead, go with the pace, or come from behind. Smarty can do a lot of those things, but getting the distance too is very, very rare.

[CWebster]

18. Too much expectation

and they pulled him out front too early in response to showing him off as champion. There was nothing in front of him to beat.

[bread_and_roses]

19. He outran the pedigrees

of Rock Hard Ten and Eddington, both "bred to run all day." He was beaten one length. Did anyone say Alydar couldn't get the distance because Affirmed beat him a few lengths in the Derby?

"His trainer said he wasn't "settling" and I think Smarty turned on the after burners too soon." Has nothing to do with his pedigree but rather with how tractable the horse is in the race. Smarty had been remarkably "push-button" till the Belmont. I don't think it's impossible that the general electricity and tension in the air affected him, since those around him HAD to be wired up. A sensitive animal will pick up on changes in body language, and humans who are tense and excited no doubt smell different than humans who are calm - the body chemistry is different.

Whatever, it was a great spring following Smarty, and with luck we'll see him run and (I hope) win a few more times before he retires.

One of these years some horse bred by some millionaire or Prince is going to win the Triple Crown, and it won't be nearly so much fun.

[CWebster]

20. Aflicted with the Philadelphia curse?

Still, in some ways the story of Smarty Jones reminds me of the Dean campaign. All that expectation...so close.

[Must_B_Free]

21. Smarty Jones and Allen Iverson

Classic Philly losers