It was a heartbreaker-- SJ is *such* a cool horse.

Theresa
My Blog: http://www.humanitas.blogspot.com
alt.tv.frasier FAQ: http://www.im-listening.net/FAQ/

On the outside chance you aren't joking.

Once a year, for a series of three races, many of us become great fans of
horse racing.  The series is the equivalent of the World Series or the Super
Bowl or the NBA finals.

First race is the Kentucky Derby, at Churchill Downs.  Second is the
Preakness near Baltimore, Maryland.  And third is the Belmont Stakes in New
York.  All the horses are Three Year olds, which actually means many aren't
much over two.  A horse is considered one year old on New Years Day, even if
it was born on December 29th.

To win a Triple Crown means that a single horse has to win all three races.
And it hasn't been done since 1977.

There is quite a bit of difference in the length of the three tracks, so it
is a little bit like asking a runner to compete and win against sprinters,
runners, and marathoners.

Horse breeders are really big believers in genetics, so if Smarty Jones had
won, he likely would have never raced again.  Still might not.  He will be
sold to a syndicate (no one person can risk the amount it would cost to own
him) and likely put to stud for the rest of his life.

Jo

It's the third race in a series of races that has become known as The Triple
Crown.  It's the longest and most grueling. THe Kentucky Derby is the first
leg, the Preakness the second and the Belmont the third. It is now often
argued as an obsolete race because there is maybe one other 12 furlong race
in the U.S. Horses are now bred for speed and not distance. The races are
*only* to be entered by 3 year old horses.  Since 1919 there have only been
11 horses to do it. It is said to be the most difficult athletic event
beside golf's Grand Slam (of which I know nothing about).  The biggest deal
on this one is that somehow, there was a huge national interest, far above
average for horseracing in the outcome of this one because the owners and
the horse itself are so endearing. They are from the working class race
courses and the horse is owned by an elderly couple who came from the
working class and built up a car sales business of healthy proportions. The
first trainer who was well respected was murdered along with his wife by his
stepson when he discovered the stepson was stealing checks and cashing them
with forged signatures. The elderly couple were devestated and sold off all
but two of their horses. One of those was a colt now named Smarty Jones
after the wife's mother who shared a birthday with the horse. The new
trainer is a good trainer at a very (for a racetrack) small racetrack. Seems
to be a totally upstanding fellow, married his best friend, solid, adoring
father to two boys (considers this entire year wonderful except for the fact
he had to be away from family). Completely squashed every famous jockey that
wanted to ride this horse but insisting only the jockey that had always
ridden him would continue to do so, thereby putting one of the good but
never known jockey's in the limelight.  Smarty himself nearly was killed in
a gate accident at two years old.  It was an accident that many horses
(extremely volitile to "remembered" pain) would not have come back from
successfully. Instead, Smarty won every race he was entered in after his
recovery. He went into the KD undefeated and won, the first since 1977 to do
that and then won the Preakness by the widest margin in its 129 year
history. He lost the Belmont (and therefore the Triple Crown) by a short
length to a fresh horse (meaning the horse had not raced in the Preakness
and had 3 extra weeks of rest). The rest of the horses were at least eight
lengths behind. Hopefully, he will come back and show any doubters that he
*is* an amazing horse (yes, he seems to still have to prove this to many) by
winning against older horses (his times have already shown he can do this)
later this year. Normally, you see, horses that get to this point are owned
by sheiks or "old money" families and trained by the big name trainers.
Seattle Slew and last years Funny Cide are exceptions to this. Seattle Slew
*did* win the triple crown undefeated. Funny Cide did not win the Belmont
and his story (also pretty fun and now in a book, soon to be movie on TV)
either. Smarty's difference from Funny Cide is that 1) the entire state of
Philadelphia - where Smarty and his folk are - are desparately seeking a
champion. This was going to be THEIR year. Alas, it is not.  The big
difference here is that even the doubting big name sports writers believe in
Smarty Jones ability. All the jockeys believe in him. The other trainers!!
believe in him. He is quite the story here. Here is a great story that shows
you just how much this horse affected everyone:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2004/writers/frank_deford/06/09/viewpoint/i
ndex.html

I put together a slide show that seems to show his personality and it also
shows how much his connections love him:

http://f2.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/kchuplis/slideshow?&.dir=/282e&.src=ph

and this article, well, this is just what it's all about (possible TW here.
It's so sweet):

http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/storyprint.asp?StoryID=254728

Karen
(can you tell I'm totally sucked in by racing?)