Putting The Horse Before The Crown
July 1, 2004
by Bob Holt

By now the dust has cleared from the attempt by thoroughbred Smarty Jones to win horse racing's Triple Crown. This horse captured the attention of legions of fans in the Philadelphia area who have been totally starved for a champion for twenty-one years. They had visions of a parade featuring Smarty in a float being pulled by Eric Lindros, Scott Rolen, and Larry Brown.

But suddenly the hottest selling item of merchandise in the Philadelphia area is no longer Smarty Jones tee-shirts, posters, or low-carb lasix, but extra strength ankle tape for the hordes of followers who are jumping off the horse's bandwagon.

Come on – admit it, you had a good time rooting for Smarty while it lasted, right? There are no guarantees in any horse race. If you do the appropriate homework, study speed figures, and create a logical wagering plan for your day at the races ahead of time, you will find that you can gain all the knowledge necessary to properly break into an ATM machine.

At the Belmont Stakes, much of the extensive wagering occurred because people wanted a betting slip as a token which documented their attendance at a historic sports event. They could forever cherish this slip when they chose to visit it at the home of the highest bidder.

But this kind of support is one of the reasons Smarty Jones was defeated. Along with carrying the hopes of the Philadelphia faithful, Smarty had been tagged as America's horse. The sport of horse racing has assigned weight limits, and multiple tonnage exceeds the legal amount an animal is allowed to carry.

I know it's easy to find yourself supporting a horse. They are great athletes, and only ask for police escorts during contract negotiations. Such animals are generally lovable to most people, which is part of the reason that the donkey and elephant were chosen as symbols for the Democratic and Republican political parties.

Speaking of politics, Smarty's police escorts from the trip to New York earlier in the week wanted to give him a ticket for what he left behind on the Belmont grounds after the race. As far as being America's horse, I don't think it would be unreasonable to expect your next president to run one and one-half miles in 2:27 2/5.

Those of us who attended the Belmont Stakes apparently were able to make some nice friends during the day, as evidenced by the conversations I heard while attempting to leave by the Long Island Rail Road. Phrases were such as: "Just put your heads down and butt!" and "That's not a hand rail, ma'am, but it's a pleasure to meet you."

Other people who watched the race need to remember that Smarty Jones does not hate you, despite all of the Alpo jokes you've been making since the loss. He knows not what he does. Admittedly like most animals, he probably wouldn't like his owners and trainers too much if they suddenly cut off his monthly feed supply. Like the rest of his American minions, he's happy if you just let him eat.

Jockey Stewart Elliott does not hate you either. In fact, he welcomes your support, despite the ugly names you called him after the race because YOU gambled away your gas money for the drive home.

At least the Philadelphia experience of losing hasn't made too many fans cynical. The Turf Club in Northeast Philly saw one man who was selling Smarty shirts for twenty dollars previously mark them down to three dollars after the race was completed.

Philadelphia can still support Smarty, and those of us in South Jersey, due to our mandate in 1998 to allow off-track betting and telephone wagering in the state, have the privilege of saving money for our trip to Texas to see the thoroughbred championships now. There is the slight chance that New Jersey will see off-track betting before this year's June primary election signs are removed.

And the ladies can appreciate the fact that an average horse race lasts less than two minutes, as opposed to a guy's afternoon of football. As long as that's the only activity ladies are associated with which lasts less than two minutes.

But it's much too early to give up on Smarty Jones. Racing's championship races take place in October in Texas, and Horse of the Year is actually considered the sport's top honor for a horse. Smarty is still a dual winner, and you might see other potential champions of the future at your local track. The odds are better that you'll find another favorite horse than the odds of seeing our next president run six furlongs in 1:08.40.

(Bob Holt is a guest writer for 2 Walls Webzine.)