2004 KENTUCKY DERBY

©2004 HORSEPHOTOS/NTRA

SMARTY JONES WINS 2004 KENTUCKY DERBY 

KENTUCKY DERBY OFFICIAL RESULTS

MAY 1, 2004

KENTUCKY DERBY

GRADE I

CHURCHILL DOWNS; LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY

FOR THREE YEAR OLDS

ONE AND ONE QUARTER MILES

MAIN TRACK: SLOPPY

SMARTY JONES

Winner

130th Kentucky Derby

Jockey: Stewart Elliott

Trainer: John Servis

Owners: Someday Farm

Chestnut Colt

Sire: Elusive Quality

Dam: I'll Get Along (By Smile)

Breeder: Someday Farm (PA)

OFFICIAL ORDER OF FINISH

Scratches: Wimbledon , St Averil 

 22.99, 46.73, 1:11.80, 1:37.35, 2:04.06

See below for complete Derby recap:

SMARTY JONES MOVES TO THE HEAD OF THE CLASS

May 1, 2004

Churchill Downs

Louisville, Kentucky

The first Saturday of May is as traditional as Baseball, Apple Pie and all the other stuff that represents Americana.  The Kentucky Derby is usually a showcase of the best of the Kentucky and usually Florida breeding programs.  Some years there is usually a splash of some New York or Maryland breds, but when you think of the day you think of good horses from the upper crust of racing with their fancy hats, mint juleps, parties, "My Old Kentucky Home" and alike.

We started the journey with 448 nominations for the 130th Run for the Roses.  By the time the gate opened at 6:12 pm we were down to just 18 starters.  To the casual observer no one sophomore stood out from another.  By the time the road had winded through New York's Wood Memorial at Aqueduct it seemed there were more trainers making excuses for winning efforts than for losing ones and injuries seemed to be catching up to what was really a lightly raced bunch of horses.

I don't know how, but under the radar was lurking a monster down in Arkansas who was rolling up victories but was being dismissed because he either wasn't beating anyone, or the tracks he had won on had a bias that day, or (I like this one) his pedigree doesn't dictate he can get the Derby distance and all the other ad-nausum nocks against a little Pennsylvania bred named Smarty Jones.

It started oddly enough at Philadelphia Park in Bensalem, Pennsylvania, just outside of Philadelphia.  After a gruesome gate schooling accident left Smarty Jones fighting for his life at a New Jersey Equine clinic the horse would recover in time to win the Pennsylvania Nursery Stakes at Philly in November of 2003.   A follow-up victory in New York in the Count Fleet just after the new year earned the connections a derby trail ticket and they proceeded to make their way to Arkansas.  A victory in the Southwest and Rebel Stakes moved the PA bred's record to 5-for-5 and was quickly becoming the fan favorite at Oaklawn Park.  April 10th, Oaklawn Park's 9th race, the Arkansas Derby saw eleven starters go the post and Smarty drew post eleven on a muddy track.  Post eleven, muddy track, no problem as the crafty sophomore with Stewart  Elliott, a journeyman from Philly Park and his regular rider, proceeded to clear the field and go wire to wire punching their ticket to Kentucky.  One race to go with a $5 million pay day (The Oaklawn Centennial Bonus - to the horse who can win The Rebel, Arkansas Derby and Kentucky Derby tri-fecta) on the other side of the rainbow to go along with racing immortality. 

May 1st arrived and the racing public was still no more certain about a derby favorite than when they were when the gates opened for the Fountain of Youth back at Gulfstream early in the year.  It's nine o'clock in the morning and ESPN comes on for their "Breakfast At The Kentucky Derby Show" and the topic of conversation?  No not the horses, but the weather as the rain is coming down in buckets.  The track was sealed and no training allowed this morning.  As the day went on the sun came out and by the fifth race the track was fast.  By the time ESPN went to their Derby special the weather looked great and the coronation of a champion was to cap off a great day.  Almost on cue ESPN ran a story on the connections of Smarty Jones, the Chapman's (owners of Someday Farm) and their trainer Bob Camac, who was murdered a year earlier and how the Chapman's were affected to the point of just about getting out of the game, their new trainer John  Servis, a good horseman just on the cusp of moving to the next level of his profession and their jockey Stewart Elliott, the eternal journeyman who chooses to practice his craft at the little Philadelphia based track that is hardly ever in the limelight.  However, before the story concluded ESPN lost the feed as the rain came down quick and violent.  When things were restored it looked like Woodstock in the infield and it was high tide on the main track.  Every TV personality from then on thought that Lion Heart would now be at a serious advantage seeing that many trainers earlier that day and the day before were contemplating not going out with Lion Heart and conceding him the lead in the Derby.  At posttime the PA bred was the favorite at just over 4-to-1 with second choice Lion Heart at 5-to-1 and a big threat to steal the race off the front end.  But just like in the string of races in Arkansas, Smarty Jones was able to rate just off the lead and find another gear when it counted.  And splashing through the lane you could almost hear the disbelief in Tom Durkin's call as the little PA bred was on the lead for his owner/breeder looking to put them, and their blue collar trainer and journeyman jockey in the record books with the win, all with their first ever derby starter.

Yes the Kentucky hosts gave their Derby's trophy to the Pennsylvania connections who came and won the biggest race of their life.  To the Chapman's, it couldn't have happened to nicer people.  Mr. Chapman being in a wheel chair and having to use an oxygen bottle to help him breathe actual stood to watch his homebred come across the wire and then needed to sit to catch his breath in the glorious aftermath of their victory.  To John Servis, who says good things don't happen when you work hard?  His barn mapped out and executed a perfect plan that was rewarded with the ultimate prize.  And cudos to the connections for not wavering when it came time to name a jock for the classic.  Their conviction to stay with "their guy", as John Servis would say later, was a testament to their character and Stewart Elliott didn't disappoint.  A classy victory to a classy outfit.

The best part of the story is that it is not over.  After the $5 million dollar bonus and the Derby's winner share of $854,800 there are still those other two races: The Preakness and The Belmont.  Now the only one eligible to win the Triple Crown, Smarty Jones (the only undefeated horse to win the Kentucky Derby since Seattle Slew)  could be getting another $5 million bonus from Visa and their Triple Crown Challenge Program should he win the final two legs of the series.  Undefeated at 7-for-7 lifetime the Pennsylvania bred could be one of the richest horses in history by the time the spring classics are complete.  The Smarty Jones bandwagon is getting bigger as it moves to the Preakness, so stayed tuned. See you in Baltimore!

A rainstorm an hour the before race created a track labeled as sloppy. The field was sent off to a good start at 6:12pm and a group including Lion Heart, Quintons Gold Rush, Pollard's Vision, Smarty Jones and Read The Footnotes went out to the front of the pack with Lion Heart leading the field through the opening quarter mile in :22 4/5.  Lion Heart continued to lead the field through the second quarter mile getting the opening half mile in :46 3/5 now two lengths in front of Pollard's Vision in second as it was another half length back to Quintons Gold Rush and Smarty Jones in the fourth spot.  Down the backside Lion Heart and jockey Mike Smith tried to slow down the pace and was still leading at the three-quarter marker in 1:11 4/5 as Smarty Jones had moved off the fence to gain some room a length and one-half back in second and a head in front of Minister Eric who was running in third.  Entering the far turn it looked as if it would be a two horse race to the wire as Lion Heart was now joined by Smarty Jones as it was another four lengths back to Read The Footnotes and the rest of the field.  Smarty Jones after increasing to another gear entering the turn was now looking to take command entering the stretch as Lion Heart dug in gamely along the rail.  Limehouse was three plus lengths back in third but not gaining any ground on the leaders.  At the eighth pole Smarty Jones surged to the front and edged away under both left and right hand urging from jockey Stewart Elliot.  At the wire Smarty Jones was the victor of the 130th Kentucky Derby by two and three-quarter widening lengths in a final time of 2:04.  Lion Heart after setting the early fractions was very game in defeat finishing second three and one-quarter lengths in front of Imperialism, who after running six wide in the turn, closed well for third as Limehouse held on for fourth.