NOT SMART ENOUGH:

Jewel denial: Smarty Jones' bid falls short (JIM O'DONNELL, 6/06/04, Chicago Sun-Times)

A critical factor that is certain to be reviewed as long as the Belmont is run is the ride of Elliott aboard the people's champion. With Smarty Jones breaking from Post 9 -- the widest of all --Elliott broke very cleanly and appeared to be gunning for a quick lead from the outside.

But by the time the front phalanx reached the first turn of the sweeping Elmont oval, Elliott and Smarty were hung four-wide. Things didn't get much better down the long backstretch when the tandem moved between inside speed Purge (9-1) and the steamily stalking Rock Hard Ten (6-1).

Smarty Jones finally rolled into the lead just before completing six furlongs in a solid 1:11.76. Capping that three-quarters was a third quarter in:23.11, extremely demanding in a race of one mile and one half.

Both Servis and Elliott acknowledged later that their champion took no breather in the Belmont, never settling before unleashing a pre-emptive closing kick as he did in both of his Triple Crown victories.

''I think Stewie did a fine job,'' Servis said. ''But I had a bad feeling down the backside when [Smarty] was dragging him out of the saddle. You can't do that and win going a mile and a half. That was one of the things that helped us in the Derby and Preakness, that he relaxed so well. He just didn't relax [in the Belmont].''

Said Elliott: ''I figured if I could get into the backside and get a clear lead, he'd settle. But he just never got a break. In the end, the mile and a half just got to him.''

All the analysts said that was the one way he could lose...and he did.

Posted by Orrin Judd at June 6, 2004 11:16 AM