As the commencement of the Aug. 1 installation gathering for the 2025 division of the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame drew near at the Humphrey S. Finney Pavilion on the Fasig-Tipton exchange locales, an admirer in a Philadelphia Flyers shirt amidst the audience and a banner suspended from the overhang bearing the inscription “Smarty’s Party” in Someday Farm blue, narrated the account of the day.
On this agreeable summer morning in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., Philadelphia sports figure Smarty Jones was destined to unite with racing’s immortals.
Proprietor Pat Chapman, who directed Smarty Jones with her spouse Roy, grinned broadly as she acknowledged the honor for the offspring of Elusive Quality, who in 2004 rose to prominence as the inaugural unvanquished Kentucky Derby victor since Seattle Slew, conquered the Preakness Stakes by a then-unprecedented margin of 11 ½ lengths, and subsequently carried his flawless performance into the Belmont Stakes, where he maintained the lead into the stretch only to be overtaken by Birdstone in the waning moments.
Given his status as a Pennsylvania-bred, having commenced his initial two races at Philadelphia Park (presently Parx Racing) instead of New York, Kentucky, or California, Smarty Jones would be perceived as a working-class competitor within the Sport of Kings. He secured triumphs in those initial two juvenile contests by a combined distance of 22 ¾ lengths, thereby forcefully securing his passage onto the Triple Crown route through his remarkable aptitude.
Once granted that prospect, Smarty Jones would effortlessly achieve stakes victories in New York, succeeded by three more in Arkansas, culminating in a conclusive triumph in the Arkansas Derby. The audience was enraptured by both his capabilities and charm. The attendance of 120,139 devotees at the 2004 Belmont Stakes remains the unparalleled record attendance for that occasion.
Smarty Jones would be resigned following the Belmont and notwithstanding his eligibility for the Hall of Fame in 2009, he failed to progress beyond the nominating panel and onto the ballot until the current year. He would stand as the sole equine or individual selected for this year’s cohort from the contemporary division within a grouping of seven.
Chapman conveyed her gratitude to the devotees for upholding continuous enthusiasm in Smarty Jones and explicitly acknowledged the efforts of turf journalists Dick Jerardi and former BloodHorse columnist Steve Haskin for chronicling his narrative. Chapman’s husband passed away in 2006.
“Chappy is unable to partake in this alongside us. He would be adoring and relishing every moment, but he exists here within my heart. He consistently resides here within my heart,” Pat Chapman remarked. “As I survey the vicinity, I perceive the countenances of numerous Pennsylvania Thoroughbred horsemen, Pennsylvania breeders, Pennsylvania enthusiasts, and racing enthusiasts from diverse regions of the nation. Each of you has exerted considerable effort to preserve Smarty’s recollection, and indeed, you have executed an outstanding performance. I extend my appreciation to each and every one of you.”
While Smarty Jones dedicated the day at his present residence, Equistar Training and Breeding, in proximity to Annville, Pa., where he is priced at $3,500, trainer John Servis and jockey Stewart Elliott – the sole rider for Smarty Jones throughout his nine career starts – both undertook the voyage. Chapman ceded a portion of her allotted time to the trainer and jockey.
Servis recollected Smarty Jones’ considerable aptitude but emphasized that his connection with individuals held particular significance as well. That synthesis would result in Smarty Jones gracing the cover of Sports Illustrated, accompanied by the title, “Why Everybody Loves Smarty Jones,” and even earning selection by Time Magazine on its compendium of most influential personalities of 2004.
“Transcending his talent, he possessed something more exceptional – his connection with individuals,” Servis conveyed. “He transcended being merely a racehorse; he embodied a hero. Irrespective of whether it was his ascent from humble beginnings, his working-class origins, or the manner in which he persevered at every juncture, enthusiasts perceived aspects of themselves within him. He served as a reminder to us all of the rationale behind our affection for this sport.”
Elliott communicated that he would perpetually treasure the sensation of Smarty Jones’ aspiration to prevail while riding him.
“I felt the extent of his determination, the magnitude of heart he possessed, and the degree of his affection for running,” Elliott elucidated. “He imparted his entirety to me in each and every race. I express gratitude to him for revolutionizing my career and impacting the hearts of numerous individuals. It constituted the ride of a lifetime.”
While Smarty Jones attracted the throng, Pillar of the Turf Arthur Hancock III witnessed the day’s singular standing ovation. That response likely correlated as much with Hancock’s lifelong commitment to the equine and the integrity of racing as it did with his substantial accomplishments as a breeder or proprietor of fabled equines such as dual classic victors Sunday Silence and Risen Star, and Kentucky Derby victor Gato Del Sol, merely to cite a few examples.
“To be honored as a Pillar of the Turf and to follow in the paths of my father (Arthur “Bull” Hancock Jr.) and grandfather (Arthur Hancock Sr.) represents a genuinely profound and humbling experience,” Hancock stated. “I aspire to pay homage to my father, Bull Hancock, for instilling within me a profound reverence and admiration for the equine and the affection for the endeavor.
“He consistently advised to labor diligently, maintain honesty, and bear in mind that you possess a singular reputation, and once it is dissipated, it is irretrievable. I believe Thoroughbred racing would be sagacious to retain those precepts.”
Sunday Silence evolved into a breed-shaping sire within Japan. Representatives from the Japan Racing Association expressed their gratitude to Hancock during the ceremony and presented him with a depiction of Sunday Silence. JRA president and CEO Masayoshi Yoshida conveyed that Japan racing and breeding would not exist in its current form without Sunday Silence.
Additional Pillars of the Turf inducted on Friday encompassed author and longstanding BloodHorse columnist and editor Ed Bowen, alongside Richard Ten Broeck, proprietor of Lexington.
Bowen additionally fulfilled numerous roles with the Hall of Fame and rendered leadership and fundraising proficiencies for the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation.
“I surmise he genuinely appreciated the sentiment that he was contributing to the welfare of equines, thereby, ultimately, contributing to the welfare of the sport,” remarked wife Ruthie Bowen, who received the honor on behalf of Ed, who had passed away in January. Bowen authored in excess of 20 literary works on horse racing. “He relished composing articles, but he truly relished delving into a book and endeavoring to convey the comprehensive narrative.”
As the account unfolds, Ten Broeck was expelled from West Point subsequent to an altercation with an instructor that would instigate the proposition of a duel that never materialized. He identified his vocation with equines in the late 19th century, managing prominent Lexington – who would dominate the general sires roster 16 instances. He would race equines in England, where Ten Broeck would attain membership within the English Jockey Club. He additionally possessed Metairie Race Course in New Orleans.
“I would have relished the opportunity to have known him. A segment of the biography still elicits giggles from me,” conveyed Shelley Ten Broeck in accepting the honor. “Throughout the years, merely a scattering of narratives filtered down within our lineage. One aspect remains unambiguous: He engendered a lasting impression in horse racing. He facilitated the shaping of the sport in its formative era.
“I perceive an astounding sense of connection, and I have gleaned considerable insight into my family through this Hall of Fame ceremony.”
Alfred Nuckols, a fifth-generation horseman, received the honor on behalf of historic review equine Decathlon, a two-time champion sprinter in the 1950s who was bred by the Nuckols Brothers. Nuckols, who recalled as a child spending time with Dog Blessed, the dam of Decathlon, stated that before Decathlon ever commenced in a race, he trod upon a nail, and that lesion became infected. It engendered a distinctive stride, and his connections opted to sprint him as a result.
“He genuinely embodies an astonishing equine worthy of his status as champion and now as a member of the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame,” Nuckols stated.
Additional historic review inductees encompassed Hermis, a luminary at the inception of the 20th century who was retrospectively designated for a pair of Horse of the Year accolades in the initial five years of the 1900s by BloodHorse; and George Conway, trainer of 1937 Triple Crown victor War Admiral.
