The Kentucky Derby is not until May 7, but as far as trainer Ron Ellis is concerned, it cannot come quickly enough. "I wish the Derby was the first Saturday in March," he said Wednesday.
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Smarty Jones picked up an additional $30,000 in purse money on Wednesday when the purse of the Kentucky Derby was adjusted upward.
The purse of Saturday's Derby had originally been incorrectly calculated as $1,154,800, which omitted the $30,000 in entry fees for Wimbledon and St. Averil. Those two horses were scratched the day before the race. The additional money, all going to the winner, increased Smarty Jones's earnings to $6,763,155, still sixth on the all-time list.
Despite poor weather, a massive construction project, and a field that many saw as inscrutable, business figures for the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs were up on nearly all fronts, including television ratings.
All-sources betting on the Derby itself and the 12-race Churchill card were records, while attendance, despite the construction and thunderstorms at the track, was relatively strong. Overnight ratings for the Derby broadcast were up as well, adding to a string of strong numbers for the telecast since NBC took over from ABC in 2001.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Conditions may not ever be more difficult during Kentucky Derby weekend at Churchill Downs than they were this year, but track officials said Monday in the aftermath of Derby 130 that Derby Day proceeded reasonably smoothly, and that they are relieved to have gotten this transitional year behind them.
The many fans who backed the mutuel field, or the 24th and "all others" option, during the first two pools of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager were rewarded Saturday when Smarty Jones prevailed as the 4-1 favorite at Churchill Downs.
For the first time in the six-year history of the futures, the field was favored in all three pools. As a field member, Smarty Jones returned a mere $5.60 for a winning $2 wager in Pool 1, and $10.80 for Pool 2. He was listed as a separate entrant in the third of three futures pools, returning $23.60 as second choice.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Cue the theme from "Rocky."
A new Philadelphia story unfolded Saturday at Churchill Downs. Smarty Jones, a Pennsylvania-bred who began his career at Philadelphia Park, is trained and ridden by horsemen based there, and is owned by a couple from nearby Bucks County, scored the richest prize in racing history when he captured the 130th at Churchill Downs.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - On Monday, life will return to normal for Stewart Elliott when he rides The Fat Man in a $4,000 claiming race at Philadelphia Park.
On Saturday, Elliott was rewarded for a career of riding those types of horses when he guided Smarty Jones to a convincing 2 3/4-length victory in the 130th Kentucky Derby at soggy Churchill Downs. Elliott, a 39-year-old journeyman who was born in Canada, became the first jockey since Ron Franklin in 1979 to win the Derby with his first Derby mount.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Tapit and Smarty Jones were the betting favorites for Saturday's Kentucky Derby as of 6:15 p.m. on Friday. With just under $450,000 in the win pool, Both Tapit and Smarty Jones were holding at 5-1. The Cliff's Edge, the morning line favorite, was a surprising 8-1 in the early wagering.
Tapit, however, was the slight favorite over The Cliff's Edge in the Oaks-Derby daily double payoffs. The combination of Ashado with Tapit will pay $42.80, while the Ashado-The Cliff's Edge ticket is worth $48.60. A total of $1,650,450 was wagered on the Oaks-Derby daily double.
Front-runner Lion Heart may be too fast for his own good and incapable of carrying his speed a 1 1/4 miles. But he ranks among the elite on raw ability, and is the most likely winner - gate to wire. Barring the unforeseen, Lion Heart can shake loose from pressers Smarty Jones, Quintons Gold Rush, and Read the Footnotes. None are as fast as Lion Heart, who is in sharp form, has repeatedly proven his class, earned commanding recent Beyer Figures, and holds a pace advantage. However, Lion Heart will lose if he beats himself. It has happened before.