BENSALEM, Pa. - Pat Chapman went down to the wire for
meeting the deadline to name her young colt. In a rush, and
forgetting the horse was born on her mother's birthday, Chapman
named it Get Along.
When the paperwork returned, Chapman realized she had intended
to name after her mother, Mildred, who was nicknamed "Smarty.''
"I never told my husband, but I paid $100 to change the name,''
Chapman said, laughing.
Get Along went out to pasture; Smarty Jones took the win.
And that $100? Well, Pat and Roy Chapman more than made their
money back on the smallish red chestnut colt that went on to win
the Kentucky Derby. Another big payout came Monday when they
received a $5 million Centennial Bonus check from Oaklawn Park for
Smarty Jones' wins at the Rebel Stakes, Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn
Park and Kentucky Derby.
"It's unbelievable,'' Pat Chapman said. "I think we should
take him out and let him run up the art museum's steps.''
The bonus check, the largest in North American horse racing
history, was offered by Oaklawn Park owner Charles J. Cella to the
horse who could win the three races.
"It was a wonderful concept, never to be duplicated again in
thoroughbred racing,'' said Cella, who announced the bonus last
fall to honor the track's 100th birthday and his family, which has
owned Oaklawn since it opened.
Because of Roy Chapman's health, Cella decided to travel to
Pennsylvania instead of awarding the prize in Arkansas.
Roy Chapman, in his wheelchair and suffering from severe
emphysema, kept interviews brief, but spoke long enough to credit
trainer John Servis for making the colt the talk of the racing
world.
"When he told me we're going to Arkansas, trust me, Arkansas
was the last place in the world I wanted to go. I live in Florida
all winter,'' Chapman said. "John said we'd take him Arkansas, let
him mature and we'd go to the Derby from there. That's exactly what
he did.''
Smarty Jones, the first unbeaten Kentucky Derby winner since
Seattle Slew in 1977, is preparing for the Preakness on his home
turf. The paydays will continue to skyrocket if he can win in
Baltimore, then the Belmont Stakes three weeks later for a Triple
Crown sweep.
There was plenty of cash to go around Monday. Roy Chapman said
he'd make someone's life better. Servis planned to share his
portion with the rest of the training staff.
"It's going to be a really good start for a lot of those guys
back there,'' Servis said.
Cella said Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee proclaimed Friday
"Smarty Jones Day'' and the mayor of Hot Springs also proclaimed
the same honor for Saturday.
On Monday, Smarty Jones took an easy 1 1/2-mile gallop with a pony
on a closed Philadelphia Park track. Servis may give the colt at
least one more day on his own before the Preakness.
"I want him where he's ready to beat someone up,'' Servis said.
Servis wants to keep the colt sound, fit and happy going into
Saturday's race. Smarty Jones is enjoying a daily high-fat diet of
mostly oats and 1 1/2 pounds of carrots. Every three days, the colt
slurps a sloppy oat bran mash mixed with lots of water.
"He looks forward to that,'' Servis said, smiling.
Atkins, it's not.