Philadelphia Park shipper Smarty Jones passed the first big test of his nascent career yesterday at the Big A, coming from just off the pace to win the $75,000 Count Fleet Stakes by five lengths as the 2-5 favorite in a field of seven 3-year-olds taking their first steps on the Triple Crown trail.
“When I asked him,” jockey Stewart Elliott said, “he just exploded.”
Unbeaten in three starts, with an average winning margin of 91/4 lengths, the Pennsylvania-bred son of Elusive Quality was stretching out from seven furlongs to a mile-and-70-yards in his first start around two turns, and he handled the task with ease.
Three-wide around the first turn, Smarty Jones sat in third as 28-1 Risky Trick carved out fractions of :23.1 and :47, cruised up to challenge for the lead on the far turn, then kicked clear in the final furlong.
“He answered a lot of questions,” trainer John Servis said. “Stew said he was a little rank going into the first turn, but once he turned down the backside, he settled nicely. I would much sooner see this than see him go wire-to-wire [as Smarty Jones did in his first two starts]. It is just a matter of time before there is going to be a horse that looks him in the eye.”
Smarty Jones, who now has to be rated a serious contender for the spring classics, will ship to Oaklawn Park, Servis said, where he’ll prep for the May 1 Kentucky Derby by running in the Southwest Stakes, Rebel and Arkansas Derby.
With his final time a snappy 1:41.2, Smarty Jones paid $2.80. Risky Trick easily held second to complete a $21.60 exacta, with Mr. Spock along for third.