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John Servis (L), Pat Chapman (C) and Stewart Elliott (R) gathered on the Night School Tour in 2013.
By Jeremy Plonk
It’s been 10 years since the great Smarty Jones tilted the Arkansas Derby & Oaklawn racing on a positive trajectory – and his impact is still being felt. Oaklawn Park owner Charles Cella had big dreams for his family track’s 100th anniversary season in 2004. But even the most optimistic promoter could not have envisioned the impact that Centennial season had on the racetrack located in Hot Springs, Ark. Cella dreamed big, offering a $5 million bonus to any horse who could sweep Oaklawn’s stakes trio of the Southwest, Rebel and Arkansas Derby, and then complete a grand slam by adding the Kentucky Derby (video). That big, dangling green carrot might lure some of New York, Florida or California’s top sophomores; or so the premise. What it did lure was Pennsylvania-bred Smarty Jones from his Philadelphia home base. The rest became racing lore. In the six months to
open 2004, Smarty Jones went from local phenom to national headliner. The covers of Sports Illustrated and ESPN The Magazine became his pasture. He took his 8-for-8 record, $5 million bonus, and chance at history into the most raoucous Belmont Stakes anyone had ever witnessed. The largest crowd ever to see ANY sport in New York turned out, some 120,139 strong (17,000 more than any Belmont Stakes ever). And as a deflated Tom Durkin declared, “And Birdstone wins the Belmont,” the mania created by Smarty Jones came to a bittersweet end. Never again would he race. The fairytale had a disappointing and premature conclusion no matter how impressive the ledger. Undefeated Kentucky Derby Winners Year
Horse
Career
2008 2006 2004 1977 1969 1922 1915
Big Brown Barbaro Smarty Jones Seattle Slew Majestic Prince Morvich Regret
8: 7-0-0 7: 6-0-0 9: 8-1-0 17: 14-2-0 10: 9-1-0 16: 12-2-1 11: 9-1-0