Smarty Jones on Cover of Sports Illustrated.

Derby winner, and most likely odds on favorite to win Preakness Stakes, Smarty Jones became the first horse since Sunny's Halo in 1983 to make the cover of Sports Illustrated. Blessed with great tactical speed, Smarty Jones looks to be very capable of getting the lead, and holding off the field at inside speed biased Pimlico race track on May 15th. The mile and an 3/16th. distance at the Preakness is considered by many as a perfet distance for the colt.



wil.

[This message was edited by wilheim on May 04, 2004 at 07:38 PM.]

Wil the Preakness is run at 1& 3/16 not 1& 1/16

MVBski - Thanks, I lost my head completely. Of course it is a mile and 3/16th. I edited my post.


wil.

No problem

Thats a very nice looking cover...

Why I Hate Smarty Jones by the average bookmaker.


wil.

He better hope he does not try to get the early lead or Lion HEar twill run him into the ground and some closer will pick up the pieces (Cliffs Edge?). A stalking trip just like last time will be enough. He will be even money at the PReakness.

Great for the sport to be on SI cover.

I'll take the "over" on Smarty Jones' Preakness odds...don't think he'll be odds on with Lion Heart sure to get plenty of action, plus highly thought of fresh runners in Eddington and Rock Hard Ten

Time-out for trivia,

From CNNSI, "In investigating virtually all of SI's 2,456 covers, we found 913 "jinxes" -- a demonstrable misfortune or decline in performance following a cover appearance roughly 37.2 percent of the time."

Play em if its raining or shitty track..layoff if the track is good.

We were VERY disappointed when we opened this thread...until we realized it did not say MR JONES On Cover of SI.


Off to pack a bowl.

BENSALEM, Pa. (AP) Smarty Jones took it easy on his first run at home as a Kentucky Derby winner.

The horse took a leisurely 15-minute jog on his home turf at Philadelphia Park on Wednesday morning, but didn't break into a gallop. Trainer John Servis said he wants to ease his new champion back into the swing of things.

''He was nice and calm early on. When he did jog off, he was hitting the ground really good,'' Servis said.

The horse that now graces the cover of Sports Illustrated was on the track basically just stretching his legs. Afterward, he got his first bath since returning home late Tuesday night.

''He knows he's something special,'' Servis said. ''I'm concentrating on keeping him happy right now.''

Smarty Jones arrived at Baltimore-Washington International Airport early Tuesday evening and was loaded onto a trailer for the trip back to Philadelphia Park. He won't be worked very hard until he leaves next week for the Preakness at Pimlico, near Baltimore, Servis said.

The horse will gallop Thursday for the first time since the Derby.

With his authoritative 2¾-length win over Lion Heart on Saturday in the Derby to run his record to 7-0, Smarty Jones is also chasing away his rivals.

Cheiron, trained by Kristin Mulhall, was the latest Preakness defection, leaving six horses set to take on Smarty Jones on May 15 in the second leg of the Triple Crown. On Monday, fourth-place Derby finisher Limehouse was ruled out by owner Cot Campbell

Smarty Jones' popularity keeps growing as his story is told over and over again: He's a Pennsylvania-bred horse who nearly died when he slammed his head on an iron bar; his trainer and jockey are based at small-time Philly Park; and his owners refused a blank check to sell him.

Now he's the first undefeated Derby winner since Seattle Slew in 1977, with a chance to win the Preakness and enter the Belmont Stakes with a shot at becoming the first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978.

Derby winner picks up the training pace at Philly Park
By Richard Rosenblatt, Associated Press, 5/6/2004 13:55

BENSALEM, Pa. (AP) Kentucky Derby winner Smarty Jones was back at the track Thursday morning, galloping an encouraging 1½ miles at Philadelphia Park in preparation for the Preakness Stakes.

Trainer John Servis rode his pony alongside Smarty Jones, and after the breeze over an empty track said his undefeated colt will pick up the pace Friday with a solo gallop.

''It'll be a big day to see how he handles himself,'' Servis said.

Smarty Jones, with exercise rider Pete van Trump aboard, returned to the track Wednesday for the first time since winning the Derby, walking a half-mile and jogging another half. Thursday's gallop was just a warm-up for the next few days of training.

''He did real good, I'm very happy,'' Servis said. ''He got real strong at the end of the gallop, and I like to see that. At this stage, he's ready to do a little more than he's doing.''

Servis intends to run Smarty Jones in the Preakness, but said Friday's gallop is critical because it will give the trainer a better idea how well his colt came out of last Saturday's Derby.

If Smarty Jones is not training as well as he did before the Derby, Servis already has said he won't hesitate to skip next Saturday's Preakness, the second leg of the Triple Crown.

Jockey Stewart Elliott, enjoying a day off after riding at Delaware Park on Wednesday, came to the track and watched Smarty Jones train.

''He was aggressive out there,'' Elliott said. ''That's good.''

Ever since Smarty Jones won the Derby, the Pennsylvania-bred has turned Philly into a one-horse town. Yes, the Flyers are in the Eastern Conference finals of the NHL playoffs, but the horse with all the Philly connections Servis, Elliott and owners Roy and Pat Chapman live in the area is drawing unprecedented attention at a place that's merely a speck on the racing map.

While only about 50 people showed up to watch Smarty Jones on Thursday, a day after 200 were on hand for the colt's first day home in four months, bigger crowds are expected this weekend.

Track officials have invited the public to watch Smarty Jones gallop Saturday morning, followed by the mayor of Bensalem presenting the Chapmans with a key to the city.

On Sunday, Pennsylvania Gov. Edward Rendell is set to visit and honor Smarty Jones.

Servis said Smarty Jones will remain at Philly Park until next Thursday, when he will be shipped to Pimlico.

Smarty Jones has won all seven of his races and is the first undefeated Derby winner since Seattle Slew in 1977. A win in the 1 3-16th-mile Preakness would set up a third straight Triple Crown try in the Belmont Stakes on June 5. War Emblem in 2002 and Funny Cide last year both won the Derby and Preakness before falling short in the Belmont.

Smarty has already earned a $5 million bonus from Oaklawn Park for sweeping the Rebel Stakes, Arkansas Derby and Kentucky Derby. Should he become the first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978, Smarty would earn another $5 million bonus and top Cigar as racing's all-time leading money earner.

Smarty Jones' total earnings stand at $6,733,155.

i heard a rumor the people who paid smarty jones 5 million, hedged by betting 500,000 to win on smarty jones in the derby