February 28 - Smarty Jones

This is one of those horses, that if I had all day, it still wouldn't be enough time for all the stories.

At lunch yesterday, a bunch of long-time breeders were talking about the best road to the Kentucky Derby. Obviously, the path through Oaklawn in Hot Springs Arkansas was at the top of the list for several of the guys. It was also noted that Smarty Jones was the one who made that a popular path to the Derby with his success in the Arkansas Derby before his win at Churchill. Today, you must always put the winners of the Rebel and the Arkansas Derby into the favorite’s lists; it attracts a deep and competitive field as the real horses move forward from the rest. Thanks, Smarty, for showing a new way to get to the dance . . . the Smarty Party Dance.