Smarty Jones, in his final workout May 28 in preparation for the Belmont Stakes.
In his final workout in preparation for a sweep of the Visa Triple Crown Challenge in the June 5 Belmont Stakes (gr. I), Someday Farms' Smarty Jones breezed seven furlongs at Philadelphia Park on Friday.As about 100 people looked on from the rail, the colt went to the track at 5:40 a.m. (ET) with regular jockey Stewart Elliott aboard. The son of Elusive Quality backed up to the five-eighths pole before getting into the workout at the seven-eighths marker.The clockers timed the seven-furlong work in 1:29 1/5, but trainer John Servis and other observers got it in 1:28 2/5. The fractions were :26 3/5, :39 1/5, :51 1/5, 1:03 1/5, and 1:16 1/5, meaning the colt got the final eighth of a mile in :12 2/5. He galloped out a mile in 1:44 2/5."It went just like we wanted,'' Elliott said. "He broke off pretty strong, but then he settled down and just cruised around there.'' The early-morning work was the final intensive drill for Smarty Jones before he faces a handful of challengers in the Belmont. If the undefeated colt wins the Belmont, the $5-million Visa Triple Crown Challenge bonus would make him racing's all-time leading earner.The winner of all eight career starts, Smarty Jones has earned $7,413,155, which includes a $5-million bonus from Oaklawn Park for winning that track's two Kentucky Derby (gr. I) prep races and the Derby.
