Sunday, Dec. 19, 2004
Smarty Jones
His run at the Triple Crown was still the year's most captivating race (aside from that one for the White House). Owned by a sickly car dealer and his wife, Smarty was a made-for-TV-movie colt, ridden by a reformed alcoholic, flying to the finish at the Kentucky Derby and Preakness. After he lost the Belmont, even the winning jockey, riding 36-to-1- shot Birdstone, apologized for ending the Smarty party. If only all also-rans were this charismatic.