Belmont Bird Call: Destiny Denied

re: Belmont Bird Call: Destiny Denied

Sue MacGray — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 15:00:57 GMT

A wonderful story Steve, it makes me feel a little more forgiving of Birdstone and his connections. He obviously was/is a fine horse, as his offspring have made some waves in the past few years, and probably will continue to do so. I think Smarty was just as gutsy in his losing run though, regardless of who was/is the smaller horse. He ran his heart out and true Champions are all like that, win or lose.

re: Belmont Bird Call: Destiny Denied

calico cat — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 03:38:03 GMT

Thank you Dr D, having good friends like you is another treasure for which I'm also very grateful. Shiver me timbers, indeed!!!

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Alex'sBigFan — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 23:48:54 GMT

Thanks Steve for the great Smarty series stories. They were fabulously told. Don't forget, someone has to tell us how Smarty does in Uruguay, hope you get word from your connections there for a later story.

Smarty & Zenyatta? I LIKE it!!!

Or Alex, but we'll see what blue-blooded Bernardini produces first.

re: Belmont Bird Call: Destiny Denied

Dr Drunkinbum — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 22:37:59 GMT

Zookeeper

Aye matey, very nice treasure, shiver me timbers !!!! And good luck and continued success with Runflatout. Another treasure.

re: Belmont Bird Call: Destiny Denied

Linda in Texas — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 21:48:29 GMT

A wonderful small horse won a race this past week end as i watched HRTV. Beat a great big one fast, furiously and fairly. You know i thought to myself fast isn't always the biggest nor the 'bestest' all the time and wanting to race comes from that heart full of 'wanna win' in them that cannot be bred out of the original bloodlines.

And to my mind quickly came the name of Champion Smarty Jones.

Thanks Steve for sharing the great stories with us.

I guess you get tired of hearing how much we all love the way you can tell a story but when someone does a superb job of what they do, i think they need to be adjulated.

re: Belmont Bird Call: Destiny Denied

Fran Loszynski — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 18:11:00 GMT

Pedigree Ann

you're absolutely right. Look at the greatest racehorse of our time "Seabiscuit" once again the quote: "He be little , but he is fierce!" "He's going to look even smaller when you're behind him!" When a smaller racehorse sees a hole on the track, look out! there's no stopping them. Their hoofs become "sneakers"

re: Belmont Bird Call: Destiny Denied

jim culpepper — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 15:48:09 GMT

Pedigree Anne, well said!

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jim culpepper — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 14:11:35 GMT

Did I read too fast or is it too soon even now to broach the fact that the call of the storm birds was heard once again on this years Belmont?

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Pedigree Ann — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 13:55:23 GMT

I don't get the prejudice against smaller horses. Many of the best of the 20th Century were 'little' horses. Hyperion for one, Northern Dancer for another, and 'Il Piccolo' Ribot for a third. And Princequillo was no giant. We remember Man o' War as a big horse, but at 16h 2in he would have been seen as 'average' these days; his valiant challenger John P. Grier was an average-sized horse for the day, probably around 15h to 15h 2in.

One reason horses don't race as much as they used to is that the weight of big horses punishes their forelegs. We need to re-educate ourselves to value athleticism over size.

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Barbara W — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 12:11:11 GMT

Mike Relva--There you are! I was never successful in logging into the new blog about DynaKing. Do you have any updates?(sorry to skip to another topic)

Paula Higgins--we've discussed this subject many times on Zenny's website, and I agree completely that her last race was Zenny's best.

Smarty is adorable. When we visited Three Chimneys, they told us that he gets his own Harry&David's catalogue in the mail!

I didn't even know this was a multi-part series. I have to go back and try to find the other parts now. Thanks again, Steve. You're my favorite writer.

re: Belmont Bird Call: Destiny Denied

Dawn in MN — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 09:54:53 GMT

Mr. Haskin,

Reading this series gave me a feeling for what I missed when I missed Smarty Jones' bid for the Triple Crown. I was in self-imposed exile from Thoroughbred horse racing that year. To state the obvious I missed a great story and a bid for the Triple Crown that was oh-so-painfully close.

I looked up video of the series and watched each race with great appreciation. Watching the replay of Smarty Jones' beautifully orchestrated Preakness brought tears to my eyes. The acceleration he showed as he pulled away in the Preakness was one of those surreal displays that will live on in story and legend. Watching his Belmont brought new understanding for the heartbreak so many have expressed.

Thank you for telling this story as nobody else could. The story came alive for me. I loved this line you wrote;

"Smarty was beaten for the first time in his career. Another body had joined the five others (Silver Charm, Real Quiet, Charismatic, War Emblem, and Funny Cide) recently strewn just below the summit of racing's most elusive peak."

I gained tremendous respect for Birdstone and his get when I read the Belmont story. It was also nice to learn more about Rock Hard Ten. I have always been in awe of Rock Hard Ten. Visually, Rock Hard Ten is such a stunning horse. Rock Hard Ten and Birdstone's parts in the story illustrate what I once heard a trainer say. He said that he'd pick the little horses that run their guts out over the big horse every time.

As always, thank you for your beautiful literary illustration. Your translation and remembrance brought a story that I missed to life. This series, like Smarty Jones is truly; “…like an unfinished manuscript filled with beautiful prose…”

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Shelby's Best Pal — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 03:34:23 GMT

Thank you for the review of the Smarty Jones series. I loved following Smarty's wonderful 2004 racing season. Along with so many others, I attended the Belmont stakes that year. It was the saddest day I have experienced at the races.

re: Belmont Bird Call: Destiny Denied

calico cat — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 02:32:38 GMT

Dr Drunkinbum,

Well said! That's exactly how I felt as I followed Mr. Haskin through Smarty's excellent quest for the Triple Crown.

These gems of turf-writing are now printed and bound in the Haskin Treasure Chest, my name for a very special binder, where I've saved Mr. Haskin's most memorable articles.

Thank you Mr. Haskin, you are truly the best!!!

re: Belmont Bird Call: Destiny Denied

Mike Relva — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 02:05:05 GMT

STEVE

Thanks for all your hard work putting this together. It's much appreciated!

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Dr Drunkinbum — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 00:12:16 GMT

Steve-It wasn't difficult at all. I didn't stick with it because I'm a Haskinite, I stuck with it because it was a fabulous series, and I feel much better about the whole Smarty experience again. I didn't even have a problem reading about the Belmont again. I think I'm over it !!!!!!! Thanks.

re: Belmont Bird Call: Destiny Denied

Karen in Texas — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 23:56:52 GMT

I'm getting here late, but wanted to add a few thoughts. Smarty was so, so special to many people as shown by Steve's stories. As Steve said above, Smarty was kept off the front pages of papers and magazines (Time) by the death of Reagan near the time of the Belmont. However, the December 27, 2004-January 3, 2005 issue of Time Magazine provided their list of the twenty most influential newsmakers of 2004. Smarty was on that list along with the likes of President George Bush, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, Senator John Kerry, and cyclist Lance Armstrong to name a few. The remarks attached to Smarty began, "Yes, he's a horse. But don't hold that against him. His run at the Triple Crown was still the year's most captivating race (aside from that one for the White House)." I have kept that issue along with newspaper clippings and my Go, Smarty, Go! pin as a remembrance of the glorious Triple Crown run given to us seven years ago by Smarty Jones.

re: Belmont Bird Call: Destiny Denied

Steve Haskin — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 22:32:30 GMT

Thanks to everyone who participated in this with your comments and remembrances. I realize six parts -- several of them quite long -- on one horse is a lot to digest and a lot to wade through. So I am grateful to all of you who stuck with it. This was a one-shot deal that I thought might prove interesting to relive. Together, I feel they form a comeprehensive behind-the-scenes chronicle of the Smarty's life and times. Thanks again.

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Paula Higgins — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 21:21:17 GMT

WOW what a wonderful piece Steve! It captures it all so perfectly. Nick Zito, Mary Lou Whitney and John Servis were all so classy, win or lose. The same with the Chapmans. Smarty Jones will always be a great horse to me. He was amazing on so many levels. To me, he was a Triple Crown winner in the sense he goes into that unforgettable category. He came close enough for it to be just about a tie LOL. Same for Zenyatta and Blame. To me it was a tie and her greatest race. Sometimes a horse can technically lose, but what you remember is how great they ran the race. They transcend their loss and the winner becomes footnote. That was Smarty and Zenyatta.

re: Belmont Bird Call: Destiny Denied

rapture — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 19:40:52 GMT

I had to stop reading around "rubber-legged." Even seven years later, it still hurts too much to look back on this loss. Smarty had been the first good thing that year for me (I'd lost my grandfather the previous summer), and then Whitney, Zito, Prado and Birdstone took it away. My mom tried so hard to comfort me. My younger brother said, "At least he finished second," to which I bitterly replied, "That's not the same as winning." before disappearing into the cold depths of my family's basement to cry and curse the cretins who destroyed the day.

Seven years later, I can watch Smarty's Derby and Preakness over and over, but I still will not watch that Belmont. It was a win that Smarty deserved, not Birdstone.

Time does not heal all wounds, Mr. Haskin. Thank you for the ride down memory lane. I'm just sorry I can't keep reading, for I do dearly enjoy your writing.

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Barbara W — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 18:56:10 GMT

Steve--great story. I love BOTH Smarty and Birdstone (and his sons). I'm sure people must have laughed when I suggested that Zenyatta be bred to him, but I was serious. I already knew the Mosses wanted a smaller stallion anyway.

By the way, anyone know when the MTB movie will be out?

re: Belmont Bird Call: Destiny Denied

Rachel NH — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 17:48:41 GMT

No one was a bigger fan of SJ than me, right from the start.

That being said, my claim to fame with my family and friends was to tell everyone that the only horse who could outlast (not outrun) SJ was Birdstone and had friends bet him (the Bird) to win for me (just $2, LOL). He was a great 2 year-old who hadn't progressed well as a 3-year-old but he still ran the same way his daddy did, and I knew that efficient little horse had the 12F in him, and when Smarty wasn't relaxing while they kept sending horses after him, in my heart I knew a little brown machine would be coming down that long Belmont stretch...

Smarty is still a great race horse...too bad he didn't run again.

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GoldenBroom — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 15:03:56 GMT

Definitely have to watch for more of his kids...he won a 1 1/2 as did Summer Bird. MTB won at 1 1/4. I hope someone with a well bred BIG mare breeds to him and gets a foal with the body to go with the heart and we'll be all set...

re: Belmont Bird Call: Destiny Denied

Will — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 14:48:34 GMT

With Smarty Jones refusing to relax like he did in the Derby or Preakness and Solis and Bailey throwing away the chances of Rock Hard Ten and Eddington respectively by taking shots at Smarty, trying to run him into the ground, who can blame Elliot for going to the lead in a bold attempt to get Smarty away from these two and Purge, hoping that Smarty would then relax. Yes, as you say, Steve, it cost Elliot two unheard of taxing fractions, but the result was the disappearance of those three challengers and the rest of the field - with the fatal exception of Birdstone - now nowhere to be seen. Elliot really had no other choice with Smarty Jones pulling on him the way he did down the backstretch. Possibly one of the greatest races ever run in defeat by a horse whose breeding indicated possible distance limitations, and an admirably bold tactical decision by a jockey who almost pulled off the seeming impossible. What really beat Smarty, given the riding tactics Elliot was forced to employ, was the failure you mentioned, Steve, of the predicted rain to arrive as the front split south of NYC and the precipitation passed harmlessly to the east and west. Rain and a sealed track would have meant a scratched Birdstone if Zito, as likely, had proved a man of his word. This one wasn't written in the stars for Smarty Jones - no astrological significance here, Steve. Only God in His Providence sending the rain elsewhere that day. There must have been other factors hidden from the eyes of men that led to the diversion of the rain to other regions and denying Smarty his place in the pantheon of Triple Crown winning racing legends. As the New England Puritans used to say, good Calvinists all, the will of God can be inscrutable at times.

re: Belmont Bird Call: Destiny Denied

Twin C — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 12:47:23 GMT

Hi Steve. Rich C here. Ohhh, the omens we sometimes see. As the horses came on the track for that Belmont I recalled Birdstone winning the Champagne and he was skipping across the track right in front of me. I couldn't help thinking how happy he looked and that he was a real threat to Smarty. Just then my friend asks the guy next to him who he likes and the guy says "Birdstone." My friend yells "Birdstone? You have a better chance of finishing last than first!" Right then I knew it wasn't going to be for Smarty and was not surprised at all to see Birdstone charging late. I knew when they turned for home it was over. It was a tough finish to a great story and it was very sad that Smarty's career had to end that way but he sure beat some very good horses easily that year. Who knows where he would stand historically if he could have continued racing.

re: Belmont Bird Call: Destiny Denied

Fran Loszynski — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 11:36:58 GMT

You know Steve sometimes when a racehorse loses a race he becomes bigger than life than if he won. I really believe that. For Smarty Jones -our heartstrings pulled a little bit harder that he lost the Belmont but he really won our hearts. Birdstone ran an awesome race and that's what horseracing is. It's the moment, it's the timing, the strength, the courage to take a chance. A perfect example of losing and making an impression: Kids remember when Afleet Alex fell in the Preakness, because then they could fall and get up, a five-year old doesn't understand "Triple Crown" but a fall and a leap, yes. There's always a reason why we go Yeah! and "Oh well" in horseracing.