ELMONT, N.Y. - The frustrating spring of trainer Nick Zito and the charmed life of Smarty Jones were turned upside down at Belmont Park on Saturday, when Zito-trained Birdstone ran down Smarty Jones in the final yards to score an upset in the 136th and spoil Smarty Jones's Triple Crown bid.

A hush immediately fell over a mammoth crowd that filled every nook and cranny of spacious Belmont Park, hoping to see the first Triple Crown winner since 1978. The loss was the first suffered by Smarty Jones after eight straight victories.

ELMONT, N.Y. - The only things missing from Belmont Park on Saturday were the Liberty Bell and a Geno's cheesesteak stand. The hordes of Philadelphians that descended on the track for Smarty Jones's run for the Triple Crown brought everything else.

Phillies hats. Donovan McNabb jerseys. Tastykakes. And, of course, an unshakable confidence in Smarty Jones, the Philadelphia

Park-based horse who has captured the imagination of a large number of fans across the

country.

-Pedigree profiles by Lauren Stich

BIRDSTONE

1 Smarty Jones
2 Rock Hard Ten
3 Purge
4 Caiman

No horse is invincible, not even Smarty Jones. Yet the unbeaten colt has remained in peak condition while training under public scrutiny; his Grade 1 class is irrefutable following decisive Derby-Preakness wins; his last four Beyer figures exceed the 106 Belmont par; and he faces only one other front-runner. Smarty Jones could be loose on the lead.

1 Smarty Jones
2 Eddington
3 Purge
4 Rock Hard Ten

Smarty Jones will win the Triple Crown. Why will he succeed after so many others have failed? Because he is a brilliant racehorse, and the opposition is thin. Of the 17 rivals he whipped in the Kentucky Derby, only two - distant finishers Master David and Birdstone - are back for another try. Rock Hard Ten and Eddington - second and third behind him in the Preakness - also are back, but they never got close at Pimlico.

1 Smarty Jones
2 Purge
3 Rock Hard Ten
4 Eddington

It isn't hard to build a case for Smarty Jones. He is 8 for 8. He looked sensational crushing his opponents in the Preakness with an impressive 118 Beyer. He has already soundly beaten the best opponents who will battle him in what shapes up as the softest-looking field he has seen in his bid to win the Triple Crown.

1 Rock Hard Ten
2 Smarty Jones
3 Eddington
4 Purge

Rock Hard Ten is 8-1 on the morning line, fitting for a colt who debuted four months ago and has been behind the 8-ball in seasoning ever since.

The seasoning is over. A 3-year-old who wins his first two starts in hand and drops a photo in the Santa Anita Derby is a horse to be reckoned with in any spot. In retrospect, missing the Kentucky Derby was a blessing in disguise. It gave Rock Hard Ten six weeks before the Preakness.

1 Smarty Jones
2 Eddington
3 Master David
4 Rock Hard Ten

1 Rock Hard Ten
2 Smarty Jones
3 Purge
4 Eddington

After spending countless hours studying the past performances and calling upon years and years of handicapping experience, it is my professional opinion that Smarty Jones is the most likely winner of the Belmont Stakes.

ELMONT, N.Y. - The friendship between trainer John Servis and jockey Stewart Elliott runs much deeper than their association with Smarty Jones. They socialize and vacation frequently, and often go deer hunting. On Saturday at Belmont Park, they will try to take down the biggest and most elusive prize in racing, the Triple Crown.