Smarty Jones to Join Racing Hall of Fame After Two Decades

Pat Chapman, the breeder and owner of Smarty Jones, expressed a sense of closure with the horse's upcoming induction into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. "This is the ending, I'm telling you, I can sleep well at night. He is vindicated now," Chapman remarked, reflecting on the journey since the horse's last race.

Born on Chapman's Chester County farm, Smarty Jones was named after a family nickname. His rise to fame began in 2004 when he entered the Triple Crown series undefeated. The chestnut colt dominated the Kentucky Derby and won the Preakness Stakes by an astonishing 11½ lengths, a record that remains unbroken. However, his quest for the Triple Crown ended in heartbreak at the Belmont Stakes, where he finished just one length short.

"We will never ever know how good of a horse he might have been," Chapman lamented, hinting at the potential that remained untapped.

Trainer John Servis recalled the moment Smarty Jones became a formidable competitor. "He could run horses off their feet... He could stalk, he could go to the front," Servis noted. "Belmont now becomes, not how do we win the Belmont, but how do we beat Smarty Jones? My horse had a bull's eye on his back."

In just two years on the racetrack, Smarty Jones amassed $7.6 million in earnings and captured the hearts of fans nationwide. "It was incredible. It didn't just do things for the sport; it did things for the nation. He became a hero," Servis added.

Chapman highlighted the fervor surrounding Smarty in Philadelphia: "They were really hot for Smarty, they loved him. There were billboards about the horse, there were songs about him. The fan mail, we had tubs and tubs of fan mail." His popularity drew attention to horse racing from those who had previously overlooked the sport.

The loyal fan base played a crucial role in securing Smarty's place in the Hall of Fame. Elected in his first year on the ballot, Smarty Jones is finally set to receive the recognition he has long deserved.

The induction ceremony for the newest Hall of Fame members will take place on Friday in Saratoga Springs, New York.