Smarty Jones, the Story of a Champion

SMARTY JONES, UNDEFEATED

He survived the murder of his very first trainer and a fractured skull at age two, later to emerge as an undisputed racing champion. This is not Hollywood but the true account of one amazing horse who, a year after the release of the movie Seabiscuit, made real-life history in horse racing. This is the story of Smarty Jones.

Someone who has suffered some terrible losses in his life, Smarty Jones today is a horse on a winning streak. He bagged the 1 st place at the Kentucky Derby on May 1 and at the Preakness Stakes on May 15 – two in a series of three races long considered to define the sport of horse racing.

Now, Smarty Jones is on his way to conquering the third and final major race. On June 5, the world of horse racing will watch Smarty Jones make a run for racing greatness at the Belmont Stakes, and quite possibly seize the yet unclaimed Visa Triple Crown bonus prize of $5 million.

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Dream come true, someday

Roy Chapman, semi-retired from running a string of automobile dealerships, and wife Patricia began breeding and racing horses in the late 1980s. They owned a farm in New Hope, Pennsylvania, and for weeks tried to come up with a name to call it, but none that would work at first.

They would talk and dream about the things they were going to do in this farm someday, and Pat would let out a big sigh, “Someday, someday…” It was just the idea they were waiting for. Roy decided, “I think we ought to call it Someday Farm.” And so they did.

It was here at Someday Farm that Smarty Jones was foaled on February 28, 2001, and bred by owners Roy and Pat. He was named after Roy 's mother-in-law, whose nickname was Smarty.

His sire, Elusive Quality, performed best at distances up to a mile, setting a 7 furlong track record at Gulfstream Park and a world record at 1 mile on turf at Belmont Park . His dam, the sprinter I'll Get Along, was sired by champion sprinter Smile. Despite these influences, Smarty Jones' Dosage Index of 3.40 suggested that he could get the 1 ¼ mile distance of the Derby.

Rough Start | Smooth Finish

136th Belmont Stakes Contenders & Special Handicapping Report