Originally posted by: GoodDad
yeah, thats the horse. Both the riders they interviewed said that Smarty was just unbeatable. I didnt know he was THAT good.
and hence the excitement of a
triple crown winner. Haven't had a horse good enough to win all three, the really good ones win the Derby, Preakness and sputter at the 1 1/2 mile length at the Bellmont.
We'll see. I for one would love to see him go all the way.
from espn.com:
BALTIMORE -- Smarty Jones blazed into the lead turning for home and won the Preakness by a
record 11½ lengths on Saturday, setting the stage for a dramatic Triple Crown try at the Belmont Stakes in three weeks.
The undefeated colt has a chance to become just the 12th Triple Crown champion and the first to sweep the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont
since Affirmed in 1978.
He would also claim another $5 million bonus and become racing's richest horse.
As he cruised past Lion Heart around the far turn, Smarty Jones turned on the afterburners and clobbered nine rivals in running his record to 8-for-8. In doing all that, he added another amazing chapter to racing's feel-good story of the year.
The crowd at Pimlico roared as jockey Stewart Elliott asked Smarty for his patented run for home. The Pennsylvania-bred responded by moving to the inside of pacesetter Lion Heart and pulling away. The margin of victory topped the record of 10 lengths by Survivor in 1873, in the first Preakness.
The overpowering win put in place some mind-boggling possibilities for the chestnut colt who has captured America's fancy -- as Funny Cide did last year before his Triple Crown bid fell short in the Belmont.
Smarty Jones will be the sixth horse in the last eight years with a Triple chance, but there's a big difference this time around: Smarty is the only one who hasn't lost.
