Smarty Jones Back in Uruguay

re: Smarty Jones Back in Uruguay

Alex'sBigFan — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 01:27:00 GMT

another foal by Smarty Jones - Lady Eve could be called:

Eventually Smart

But this one in the photo looks like a cuddly, fuzzy donkey and he just looks like a little Shuttlebutt!!!

re: Smarty Jones Back in Uruguay

Lise from Maine — Sun, 23 Sep 2012 17:24:55 GMT

Hi!

Why was Smarty Jones sent to Uruguay?

Why not stay in the States and breed here?

The mares and foals are beautiful.

Thank you!

Lise from Maine

re: Smarty Jones Back in Uruguay

Uncle Smiley — Sat, 22 Sep 2012 09:22:30 GMT

Unique angle on naming a Pennsylvania bred Smarty foal, Dr. DB. In the interest of linguistic accuracy can I suggest Shuttledupa.

But what I would really like to hear roaring from the lungs of Tom Durkin is: "and here at the Belmont it is all about Smartdupka!"

re: Smarty Jones Back in Uruguay

Gin — Sat, 22 Sep 2012 01:39:26 GMT

Steve, thank you so much for this wonderful article on our dear SMARTY JONES!!!!!!!!! I believe it's unanimous when so many folks here show their love for him, by saying he's one of our favorites for sure! How can you not love Smarty! Glad you got to go down to South America and see where he is stationed. Good to see you have a great time! You deserve it for all you do for us!

re: Smarty Jones Back in Uruguay

Wrensflight — Fri, 21 Sep 2012 16:41:08 GMT

Na zdrowie, Dr. D! And you're right, as usual, Ole Railbird.

re: Smarty Jones Back in Uruguay

Smoking Baby — Fri, 21 Sep 2012 13:13:24 GMT

Alex'sBigFan. I must admit I was a little skeptical when Afleet Alex went to stud. Then in his first crop he had two Grade 1 winners as well as a couple Grade 2 winners and a couple Grade 3 winners. There was a period there where you couldn't watch one of these big races without seeing an Afleet Alex in there. He still commands a nice respectable $20,000 stud fee (2012)and had turned out to be a nice sire. This brings me to Smarty Jones. I don't think when he went to stud they sat down and said to themselves "Gee I hope in a few years his stud fee drops 92.5%, we get 3% stakes winners (2% graded), his yearlings average about $13,000 dollars (2011) and we shuttle him to Uruguay." They have some work to do with him in Pennsylvania and the story's not done being told yet but....You've got to classify him as a dissapointment so far.

re: Smarty Jones Back in Uruguay

Cassandra.Says — Fri, 21 Sep 2012 03:56:38 GMT

Railbird:

You said it!

Like your mom told you "Eat your carrots and grow big and strong."

NOT "big and fast."

The mares in the past few years have been their sires' best advertisements. They're smaller, and they stay better and last longer.

re: Smarty Jones Back in Uruguay

Alex'sBigFan — Fri, 21 Sep 2012 00:00:56 GMT

I still say that Smarty Jones and Afleet Alex are relatively new young sires with so much more to come from them. They both proved their greatness on the track. I think their greatness as sires is still in the making and evolving. The progeny has been ok, but nothing stellar yet. Didn't Smarty's stud fee drop drastically a few years back as well? As much as I love both, and I really love Alex, I feel they still have to prove their greatness as sires. When the athleticism of either finally genetically transcends to a foal who can translate that talent on the track as they did, then Smarty and Alex will have really made their mark or hoofprint. Hopefully great champions will come from both of them, they're only at breeding what 6 or 7 years or so now. Alex entered stud in Jan. 2006 and Smarty maybe the year before. I put Bernardini in the same category. Hopefully in years to come when we see a pedigree with one of these 3 names in it, it spells out greatness. May the 3 of them be blessed with many breeding shed dates with many champions to follow in their footsteps or hoofprints.

re: Smarty Jones Back in Uruguay

CHIEF PICAWINNA — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 19:04:01 GMT

my too cents on names

Smarty Jones -- Aventura Smartadventure

Smarty Jones -- Lady Eve

SJlady

re: Smarty Jones Back in Uruguay

an ole railbird — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 14:31:29 GMT

i would like to comment on the size of these foals in south amercia. compared to the american foals, they are smaller & tend to grow off , with age.

where as the american foals are taller, with more muscle definition, at a earlier age.

therein may lay, some of the problem, with soundness in their 2& 3 year old years.

IMO ,american breeders push for a muture lookin colt, at an early age. this practice results in

a bigger, stouter, colt that is more apt to be to big for his bone structure.

our niebhors to the south, seem to be more patient with their colts, and let them grow @ their own pace.

IMO, there is a lot to be said for that method.

enough said. ill go back to being "an ole railbird".

re: Smarty Jones Back in Uruguay

Cassandra.Says — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 05:00:21 GMT

Girls, don't worry about it too much.

Honest, stallions don't suffer when they have mares brought to them all year round.

On the contrary, in July/August they are often off their feed and spending their time calling. "Hello? Any girls out there? Hello?"

re: Smarty Jones Back in Uruguay

Greg R — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 02:56:36 GMT

Would rather have had Smarty as a racehorse for another year or two than have him standing at stud. What a talent. That he came so close to winning the Belmont with his pedigree and after a grueling spring campaign was amazing.

Is this the farm where Invasor was born?

As for Steve's article about the PA Derby, I didn't care for Alpha going into the Travers, but I have to admit he was best that day by a fair margin, despite the official dead heat. He ran a lot farther to reach the finish line than Golden Ticket did. Still, Golden Ticket may be on the rise - one of those autumn bloomers.

re: Smarty Jones Back in Uruguay

Dr Drunkinbum — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 02:16:19 GMT

There are a lot of Polish people in Pennsylvania. How about Shuttlebuttski for one that is concieved when he comes back here?

re: Smarty Jones Back in Uruguay

Alex'sBigFan — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 00:39:27 GMT

Karen in Texas,

Little Senor Shuttlebutt! I love it!

re: Smarty Jones Back in Uruguay

Old Old Cat — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 21:45:49 GMT

My mare was at Ghost Ridge when Smarty was returned to PA where everyone adored him. Thank God for Pat Chapman and Terry Bratten for bringing him home. When he first arrived, I was priviledged to feed him carrots and photograph him. My (show horsey) daughter loved the photos commenting on his overstride and the angles of his hip and chest. He always came right up to me and ate out of my hand with No aggressive Bitey-Bitey. I think he liked a friend in his new surroundings. His babies there were beautiful, like the photos you have. That foal standing alone looks like a fast one, and is typical of what he throws. Smarty, E Dubai, and Jump Start have relocated to North View PA along with Carl McEntee. I would love to them in the future.

re: Smarty Jones Back in Uruguay

Soldier Course — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 18:33:13 GMT

Mike Relva:

Hi Mike! I'm doing fine and hope you are as well. Lots of love still flowing out to Smarty. Each year that passes without a Triple Crown winner makes his 2004 run look more and more impressive. He will always be my favorite.

re: Smarty Jones Back in Uruguay

Fran Loszynski — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 16:07:52 GMT

Have a great life Smarty and Antonio! I lost a dear friend during Smarty's races but I remember her words before his races. "Luv that Smaaaaaarty!"

Long life to you Mr. Superhorse. Thank you Steve for this article.

re: Smarty Jones Back in Uruguay

Mike Relva — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 16:07:49 GMT

Solider Course

Hello, how you've been?

re: Smarty Jones Back in Uruguay

Pat C. — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 15:31:42 GMT

Steve, just read your article and loved it! The pictures are

wonderful. Appreciate all the comments!

Pat Chapman

re: Smarty Jones Back in Uruguay

Smoking Baby — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 15:19:51 GMT

Paula Higgins. What progeny?

barryaksarben. How is he proving any breeding experts wrong?

Can either of you name one good horse by Smarty Jones? He's a nice $10,000 sire (no doubt) but I believe it's a little much to say he's proving his greatness with his progeny no?

re: Smarty Jones Back in Uruguay

Karen in Texas — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 15:18:04 GMT

Alex'sBigFan---I like Shuttlebutt, but the first thing that came to mind when I read it was, he's a little Senor Shuttlebutt! Then, of course, there could be a filly called Senorita Shuttlebutt....

re: Smarty Jones Back in Uruguay

Pedigree Ann — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 14:10:17 GMT

Too tired after following all those sessions of the yearling sales to do your research properly, Steve? <kidding>

Sorry, but the first G1 run in the state of Pennsylvania took place on August 25, 1973 and it was... the Cotillion H at Liberty Bell. That was the first year of graded races, before preps began to be graded higher than the races being prepped for and other such idiocies.

Liberty Bell, a harness track in origin, had developed a strong stakes program with major races for mares (Susquehanna H), open older horses (Hobson H) and open 3yo (Minuteman H). The Susquehanna was particularly strong, with winners like Double Delta, Chou Croute, Susan's Girl, and Twixt.

Debuting in 1969, the inaugural Cotillion was won by Shuvee, and in following years by the champion Office Queen; Alma North; and champion Susan's Girl. No wonder it garnered a Grade 1 rating when grading came along.

In 1975, Thoroughbred racing in Pennsylvania moved to the newly-built Keystone facility, with new management, and the Liberty Bell stakes came with it. Although the Cotillion continued to attract decent fields and good winners (My Juliet, Revidere) for a time, it and the other top stakes races went into decline for some reason. The purses went down, I believe; maybe the scheduling was messed with so that the better horses were elsewhere. It was sad to see such a good start to a strong stakes program squandered. Track managements don't always seem to understand the importance of developing continuity and tradition with their major stakes races and play around with them willy-nilly until they have no context.

re: Smarty Jones Back in Uruguay

barryaksarben — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 13:20:09 GMT

Thanks Steve. Smarty was a GREAT racehorse - coming soooo close to the triple crown - he didnt get the respect from the experts while racing and again while breeding but in both cases will prove them wrong

re: Smarty Jones Back in Uruguay

randy brungard — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 12:40:59 GMT

Smarty has a great life. He will be back at Northview in December, where he will resume his Northern Hemisphere breeding in Feb. 2013. He was the #1 ranked (32nd overall) earnings Sire outside of Ky in 2011 according to the TB Times, with over $5.5 million in earnings. He has 7 Stakes winners so far in 2012. Rest assured, Smarty is well cared for.

re: Smarty Jones Back in Uruguay

lunar spook — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 12:07:02 GMT

PAULA HIGGINS- I agree with you on the belmont loss, that hurt me more than any race ever , till this day i have never watched the replay