Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks

Smarty Jones Wins the Derby, Ashado Wins the Oaks
by Emily Hufford

Smarty Jones, Winner of the Kentucky Derby (G1)

Ashado, Winner of the Kentucky Oaks (G1)

Smarty Jones, the Kentucky Derby favorite with an underdog story, won this year's Run for the Roses by 2 3/4 lengths. He caught the front running Lion Heart around the far turn and the two staged a brief duel before Smarty Jones pulled away. He was sent off at 4 - 1 and paid $10.20 for the win.

Trained by John Servis, Smarty Jones comes with an incredible story. He nearly died as a two year old, slamming his head into the side of a starting gate, and his owners, Roy and Patricia Chapman, sold all of their horses except one when their trainer, Robert Camac, was murdered. The one horse they kept was Smarty Jones.

Smarty Jones came into the Derby off of six straight victories in six starts. He became the first horse to win the Derby undefeated since Seattle Slew in 1977. Seattle Slew went on to win the Triple Crown. Lion Heart finished second in the Derby, Imperialism closed to third.

Smarty Jones will receive a $5 million bonus for winning the Rebel Stakes, Arkansas Derby, and Kentucky Derby. The bonus was put up in honor of Oaklawn Park's 100th anniversary.

The filly counterpart to the Derby, the Kentucky Oaks, was won by Starlight Stables' Ashado, a daughter of Saint Ballado who is trained by Todd Pletcher. She defeated longshot Island Sand by 1 1/4 lengths with the brilliant filly Madcap Escapade running third.

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