The Post’s Ed Fountaine continues his daily look at the 11 horses who won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness but lost the Belmont Stakes since Affirmed won racing’s most recent Triple Crown in 1978.
Elusive Quality — I’ll Get Along, by Smile
Trainer: John Servis • Jockey: Stewart Elliott
Owner: Someday Farm
For the third year in a row, and the sixth time in eight years, a horse was going for the Triple Crown. To this day, Smarty Jones is the one everyone thought could not lose.
A national folk hero by the time he reached the Belmont Stakes unbeaten through eight starts — 8,000 people turned out one morning to watch him gallop at his home track of Philadelphia Park — the Pennsylvania-bred chestnut lured a record 120,139 fans to Belmont Park for the “Smarty Party” on a cool, overcast day. When Smarty Jones turned for home with a three-length lead, the roar from the crowd made the huge grandstand shake; when Birdstone passed him in the final yards, you could have heard a pin drop.
l The first two jewels: Smarty Jones won the Kentucky Derby by 2¾ lengths over a sloppy track as the 4-1 favorite. He crushed them by 11½ lengths in the Preakness at 3-5, putting him in line to join Seattle Slew as an undefeated winner of
the Triple Crown.
l Why he lost the Belmont: Conspiracy theorists blame Jerry Bailey, Alex Solis and John Velazquez, the jockeys of Eddington, Rock Hard Ten and Purge, for ganging up on Smarty Jones to get him beat; others blame Stewart Elliott for moving too soon. Most likely, Smarty wanted to go-go-go, and Elliott couldn’t hold him back.
l The winner: Birdstone, ridden by Edgar Prado, trained by Nick Zito and owned by socialite Marylou Whitney, won the Champagne at 2, was eighth in the Derby and later won the Travers.
RESULT:
1. Birdstone, 1st by a length, paid $74
2. Smarty Jones, 2nd by eight lengths as the 1-5
favorite
3. Royal Assault, third at 27-1
Tomorrow: Big Brown (2008)