Smarty Jones is the new Seabiscuit.

[Ridley Park 704]

IMO Smarty Jones will win the Belmont and be considered "one of the great horses," if not THE greatest.

The top experts cannot even find one thing wrong about this horse. I mean, if all the top experts think he's going to run away with the Belmont, who am I to tell them they're wrong? I cannot wait until Saturday afternoon. If Smarty pulls this off, I'll be happy for the blue collar trainer and jockey, and all of Smarty's fans in Philadelphia and all over America.

Go Smarty.

[girl gone mad]

1. He's more Seabiscuit...

than Seabiscuit was.

[Daisey Mae]

2. Smarty Jones may be even better..... I feel for sure he will win Saturday.

[Dookus]

3. nah

there'll never be another Seabiscuit. Or Man'o War.

Horseracing just doesn't have the same public appeal it used to have.

Seabiscuit wasn't the greatest racer - he just caught the country's imagination at the right time.

[Ridley Park 704]

4. The Belmont officials are going nuts over this horse

I'd bet they get a record crowd and record TV audience for any race in history, not to mention the amount of loot wagered. The horse that gives Smarty the biggest threat was already beaten by him in previous races. But still, nothing is set in stone....yet.


That VISA guy is just salivating to give that $5 million away.

[delhurgo]

5. Secretariat was the greatest horse ever.

He use to win his races by 20 lengths.

Smarty Jones does seem like a safe bet for the Belmont tho. Im lookin forward to seeing it. First Triple Crown winner since....Affirmed, I think.

[tkmorris]

6. Secretariat won the Belmont.......

by 31 lengths. 31 LENGTHS. I have never seen a performance like that in my life, in any sport really. I really don't think any horse will ever top the memory of Secretariat destroying fields of the best horses in the world.

But then you had to go and mention Affirmed. I hate that horse, though I respect the hell out of him. If you must know why one of my favorite racehorses was named.......... Alydar. Go check the charts for the year Affirmed won the Triple Crown.

[Corgigal]

9. I was an

affirmed gal myself. I am always a sucker for the chestnut colt however do you think Alydar was killed for the insurance money? I just found out yesterday that the FBI still has his death classified as open.

[Awsi Dooger]

7. The blue collar jockey is a low class thug

In June 2001, Stewart Elliott pleaded guilty to a felony charge of aggravated assault after nearly killing a friend, Alexander Kovakik. He beat Kovakik with a beer bottle, pool cue and wooden stool in Kovakik's home. Elliott told reporters he was lucky he hadn't killed Kovakik. Somehow, Elliott only received a year's probation, and was ordered to pay $13,900 for the victim's medical bills.

This year Elliott filed three false applications with the state racing commissions of the Triple Crown races, claiming no criminal offenses within the past 10 years. Swept away by Smarty hysteria, Elliott was given wrist slaps of $1000, $25 and $500 instead of a suspension.

Maria Albana told sports columnist Bill Handleman of the Asbury Park, NJ Press another story regarding Stewart Elliott. Albana allowed Elliott to move into her house after they met at Monmouth Park in 1999. Albana says Elliott abused her, and the cops were called to the house more than once on claims of domestic abuse.

Maria Albana got a restraining order against Elliott. Her home was put in both their names, and she lost it after she put up the bail for the aggravated assault charge, and could not make the mortgage payments after Elliott left.

I understand it's sacrilege to point out anything imperfect about Smarty Jones or his entourage. The media has all but glossed over Stewart Elliott's legal troubles.

Oh, regarding Seabiscuit, his finest moment was defeating the blueblooded Triple Crown winner War Admiral in a match race. Smarty has faced no one even approaching that caliber, and would have been blown away by true superstars like Seattle Slew, Count Fleet or Secretariat.

[RobinA]

8. Your Point About Elliott

may be well-taken, but to single him out for this ignores the fairly pervasive sleaze factor in horse racing in general.