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2004 Triple Crown Season

• 130th Kentucky Derby - Smarty Jones
• 129th Preakness Stakes - Smarty Jones
• 136th Belmont Stakes - Birdstone
• Smarty Jones - Story of a Champion
• Photo Gallery

Smarty Jones' Triple Crown Bid

Birdstone wins 136th Belmont Stakes

Birdstone carries jockey Edgar Prado past tiring Smarty Jones in the last 70 yards of the 136th Belmont Stakes held on June 5, 2004 at Belmont Park in New York. Smarty Jones suffered the first defeat of his career and failed to become horse racing's 12th Triple Crown Champion.

• Official Order of Finish
• Official Payouts

BIRDSTONE was unhurried while between horses on the first turn, swung out entering the backstretch, settled in the middle of the pack while racing five wide along the backstretch, took up chase after the winner from outside on the far turn, moved around EDDINGTON while gaining ground midway on the turn, circled five wide while launching his bid at the top of the stretch, drifted out in upper stretch, straightened his course when struck right handed nearing the furlong marker, closed steadily under steady right hand encouragement a sixteenth out then wore down SMARTY JONES in the final seventy yards.

SMARTY JONES moved up from outside to contest the early pace, pressed the pace while four wide entering the backstretch, surged to the front just after going a half mile, battled heads apart while continuing wide to the far turn, shook off ROCK HARD TEN to get clear leaving the three-eighths pole, extended his lead approaching the quarter pole, drifted out when struck left handed with the whip in upper stretch and again nearing the eighth pole, maintained a clear lead inside the furlong marker, fought gamely into deep stretch then yielded grudgingly while weakening in the late stages.

ROYAL ASSAULT checked in tight while being bothered by ROCK HARD TEN at the start, raced well back through the opening half mile, moved up a bit between horses along the backstretch, launched a mild rally three wide on the turn then failed to threaten while improving his position in the stretch.

EDDINGTON was hustled up from outside in the early stages, stalked the pace while five wide along the backstretch, raced just outside SMARTY JONES leaving the far turn, dropped back a bit leaving the three-eighths pole then steadily tired thereafter.

ROCK HARD TEN fractious behind the gate at the start, broke outward causing crowding leaving the gate, moved up between horses on the first turn, pressed the pace inside SMARTY JONES along the backstretch, made a run along the inside to threaten on the far turn, forced the issue to the turn then tired from his early efforts.

TAP DANCER never reached contention while five wide throughout. MASTER DAVID steadied along the inside on the first turn, lagged behind between horses entering the backstretch then failed to mount a serious rally while four wide throughout. CAIMAN showed brief speed along the inside, saved ground along the backstretch and faded before going a mile. PURGE rushed up while rank in the early stages, set the pace along the rail for nearly a half, dropped back on the far turn and steadily tired thereafter.

Official Order of Finish & Final Odds

Offical Payouts

Belmont Stakes Race & Pace Analysis, Betting Recommendations

The HorsesWild Horse Racing Betting forum delivered winners for the Acorn and the other Stakes races, in addition of course to having BIRDSTONE as a potential winner and where we commented that he has the potential to improve on his last start at the Kentucky Derby. Click here to also visit the 136th Belmont Stakes horse race contenders and handicapping information page.

Post Horse		Jockey Trainer		M/L Odds 
1. Master David		J. Santos R. Frankel	20-1 

2. Purge			J. Velazquez T.Pletcher	5-1 

3. Caiman		R. Dominguez A. Medina	50-1 

4. Birdstone		E. Prado N. Zito		15-1 

5. Rock Hard Ten		A. Solis J. Orman		8-1 

6. Royal Assault		P. Day N. Zito		20-1 

7. Tap Dancer		J. Castellano N. Allard	50-1 

8. Eddington		J. Bailey M. Hennig	10-1 

9. Smarty Jones		S. Elliott J. Servis		2-5 

Stay tuned at HorsesWild for our coverage of the 2004 Belmont Stakes where Smarty Jones will make his bid to become the 12th Triple Crown winner and the first in 26 years since Affirmed last won the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont in 1978. As usual, we will deliver thorough race handicapping, pace analysis and horse betting strategy "live" at the handicapping forum. You may also revisit Funny Cide's Triple Crown campaing last on our 2003 Belmont Horse Racing Analysis and Betting Strategy page.

Smarty Jones is 2/3 of the way to becoming the 12th Triple Crown winner, but he won't have it easy at Belmont. While only several of his prior Kentucky Derby and Preakness rivals have surfaced so far to try and stop him on June 5th at Belmont Park. Here is the latest list of probable starters for the Belmont, but expect it to change over the next few days, so keep checking back to see what's going on. Final entries will be taken and post positions selected on June 2, 2004.

The Peter Pan Stakes at Belmont Park on Saturday, May 22nd, was supposed to be a prep for the Belmont Stakes, but it wound up more like an elimination as not a single horse from that race is planning to go on to the Belmont. This means the field will probably stay small, with only 7 or 8 horses, barring any last minute changes of heart. Smarty Jones is forcing a lot of the competition to rethink their challenge!