Philadelphia sports fans have a well-earned reputation for being obnoxiously surly. They love to jeer home teams in times of trouble and clinched their sour reputation in the notorious 1968 Eagles game when they even booed Santa Claus and pelted him with snowballs.
Now that’s a tough crowd!
They do have a soft side. Give them a winner, a hometown hero and the embrace will be warm and genuine. Twenty years ago, such a hero emerged to treat the City of Brotherly Love and sports fans everywhere to an amazing “Smarty Party.”
Smarty Jones was the stuff of legends, an unlikely champion with the moxie to challenge for the Triple Crown in a bid to end the drought that had vexed the sport since Affirmed last swept the three-race series in 1978.
Smarty Jones – Photo courtesy of Coady photography
From Tragedy to Triumph: The Inspiring Early Days of Smarty Jones
Smarty was an underdog from the start, bred in Chester County, Pennsylvania, a far remove from the Kentucky bluegrass country that traditionally produces the crème of the thoroughbred crop.
From the start, the Smarty Jones story had more twists and turns than the best detective novels. Owners Pat and Roy Chapman, a Philadelphia car dealer, originally hired Bob Camac to train the colt. That plan stunningly came to an end when Camac was murdered by his stepson.
Smarty was turned over to John Servis, a trainer largely unknown then outside the Mid-Atlantic region.
The next chapter in this tale was Smarty’s own brush with death. He smashed his head in a starting gate training accident. He collapsed, blood pouring from the nostrils. Servis thought the horse was dead.
Heroic veterinary intervention (primarily by Dr. Patty Hogan) saved Smarty who remarkably recovered from the fractured skull to make his racing debut at Philadelphia Park (now known as Parx) in November 2003, and the legend started to spread.
Triumph, Hype, and a Heartbreaking Loss
Ridden by Stewart Elliott instead of one of the nationally prominent jockeys, Smarty Jones was a winner from the start.
He captured his first six races, including the Arkansas Derby (G1), to earn the trip to the Kentucky Derby (G1) where, on a rainy day, he became the first undefeated Derby winner since Seattle Slew in 1977.
Smarty Mania was now in full bloom as he graced the cover of Sports Illustrated following the Derby victory.
When Smarty won the Preakness (G1) two weeks later by 11 ½ lengths, Triple Crown mania hit a fever pitch. Everyone was rooting for the plucky underdog and Philadelphia had its home-grown hero.
The final chapter of that Triple Crown saga did not have a joyous ending. Smarty finished second in the Belmont Stakes (G1), upset by 36-1 longshot Birdstone to once again deny the public a Triple Crown winner.
Some blamed Elliott for a poor ride in the Belmont. Others pointed to the cumulative fatigue of three demanding Triple Crown races in a five-week span.
That was his final race, ending his career with a record of 8-1-0 in nine starts as chronic foot injuries forced his retirement.
Today, Smarty Jones enjoys a quieter life as a breeding stallion at Equistar Training Center in Annville, Pa.
Twenty years ago, he was at the center of the Smarty Party. It was a great ride while it lasted. And it ended way too soon.