Sorry Smarty

Smarty Jones, the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Winner, retired today. Shockingly, horse racing continues. Yeah, I'm bitter. Not at the horse, but at the hype. Each year we go through this nonsense, the overhype of any potential Triple Crown champion, but the Smarty hype reached epidemic proportions.

After reading this story, I'm beginning to think that trainer John Servis is starting the believe all the stuff the National thoroughbred Racing Association, ESPN and NBC threw at us in record numbers. If you watched their coverage of horse racing's premier events you would have thought Smarty had already won the Triple Crown.

Servis' comment that Smarty could have "been the best of all time" is almost laughable now. When his unbelievable horse, the one destined to be greater than Man 'O War and Secretariat, got into the gate at the Arkansas Derby, many were concerned the Philadelphia horse would finish second and not make enough money to qualify for the Derby.

At one point of the Triple Crown chase, I heard Servis say he was just looking to get Smarty into the Derby. Apparently, Servis, who I like, has altered his opinion of his horse along the way. He went to dreaming of a Derby mount to figuring he had the greatest race horse in history. That's hindsight, I guess.

Smarty Jones wasn't the first horse to almost win a Triple Crown. Nor is he the second, third or fourth. In fact, I wouldn't even rank him amongst the top four horses to win two thirds of the Triple Crown. He didn't set one track record in Triple Crown race. Secretariat, who Servis implies Smarty could have conceivably been better than, owns the Derby and Belmont records and set the Pimilco mark, as well, but has an asterisk due to a timer's error. Three races, three track records. That, is greatness.

Smarty Jones is a very good horse with a heartwarming story and tons of media hype. That doesn't make him less of a champion. Nor would winning have made him the best of all-time. It's time some in the industry accept that they cannot generate an immortal horse. A legendary horse will arrive in time and will not need an ounce of media hype to prove their status. It will be obvious to all.