2004 Kentucky Derby

Last updated
130th Kentucky Derby
Kentucky Derby
Location Churchill Downs
DateMay 1, 2004
Winning horse Smarty Jones
Winning time2:04.06
Starting price 4-1
Jockey Stewart Elliott
Trainer John Servis
OwnerSomeday Farm
Conditions Sloppy [1]
SurfaceDirt
Attendance140,054
←  2003
2005  →

The 2004 Kentucky Derby was the 130th running of the Kentucky Derby. The race took place on May 1, 2004, and was won by Smarty Jones, who earned a $5 million bonus. [2] There were 140,054 in attendance. [3]

Contents

Contenders

Smarty Jones was the 4-1 favorite for the race. He came into the Derby with an undefeated record, including wins in the Rebel Stakes and Arkansas Derby, both held at Oaklawn Park. If he won the Kentucky Derby, he stood to earn a $5 million "Centennial Bonus" offered by Oaklawn to celebrate its 100th anniversary. [2]

His leading rivals included Lion Heart (Hollywood Futurity, 2nd in Blue Grass Stakes), [4] Castledale (Santa Anita Derby), [5] The Cliff's Edge (Blue Grass Stakes), [6] Tapit (Wood Memorial), [7] Friends Lake (Florida Dery), [8] and Imperialism (San Rafael, 2nd in Santa Anita Derby). [9]

St. Averil and Wimbledon were originally entered but scratched from the race, meaning there were only 18 starters. [1]

Full results

A "deluge" started about two hours before the race, turning a fast track sloppy. [10] Lion Heart, breaking near the rail, ran a quick opening quarter mile of 22.99 seconds to get good position going into the first turn. His jockey Mike Smith then started to slow down the pace, completing the half mile in 46.73 and three-quarters in 1:11.80. Smarty Jones rated a few lengths behind then started his move on the far turn. The two raced heads apart as they entered the stretch, then Smarty Jones started to edge away to win by 2+3⁄4 lengths. [1] [11]

Smarty Jones became the first horse to win the Derby while undefeated since Seattle Slew in 1977. It was the first Derby win for his trainer, jockey and owner, all of whom were well known in the Mid Atlantic racing circuit but making their first start in the race. [10] His 77-year-old owner Roy Chapman also bred the colt at Someday Farm in Pennsylvania. Chapman and his wife Patricia had owned and bred many horses over the years, but none had raced at the highest level. "We had a lot of ham-and-eggers," he said, "but sometimes you can cheer just as loud and get just as excited about winning a $10,000 claimer as a stakes. But we never raced at this level until Smarty came along. To have bred him and had him born on your farm, it's something... He is from Philly and I'm very proud of everything he's done." [11]

FinishProgram
number		HorseJockeyTrainerOddsMarginEarnings
115 Smarty Jones Stewart Elliott John Servis 4.10$5,884,800*
23Lion Heart Mike E. Smith Patrick Biancone 5.402+3⁄4 lengths$170,000
310Imperialism Kent Desormeaux Kristin Mulhall 10.906 lengths$85,000
41Limehouse José A. Santos Todd Pletcher 41.708 lengths$45,000
511The Cliff's Edge Shane Sellers Nicholas Zito 8.2012+1⁄2 lengths
64Action This Day David R. Flores Richard Mandella 43.4013+3⁄4 lengths
714Read the Footnotes Robby Albarado Richard Violette Jr. 22.5014+3⁄4 lengths
813 Birdstone Edgar Prado Nicholas Zito 21.2015+1⁄4 lengths
918 Tapit Ramon A. Dominguez Michael Dickinson 6.4015+3⁄4 lengths
1012Borrego Victor Espinoza Beau Greely14.2016+1⁄4 lengths
112Song of the Sword Norberto Arroyo Jr. Jennifer Pedersen55.9017+1⁄2 lengths
128Master David Alex Solis Robert Frankel 10.6018+1⁄2 lengths
1319Pro Prado John McKee Robert Holthus 53.5020 lengths
1416Castledale Jose Valdivia Jr. Jeff Mullins 21.9025+1⁄4 lengths
156Friends Lake Richard Migliore John C. Kimmel 18.5036+3⁄4 lengths
167Minister Eric Pat Day Richard Mandella 22.5037+1⁄4 lengths
1717Pollard's Vision John Velazquez Todd Pletcher 24.0040+3⁄4 lengths
DNF 20Quintons Gold Rush Corey Nakatani Steve Asmussen 51.20

Track condition: Fast

Times:1⁄4 mile – 22.99; 1⁄2 mile – 46.73; 3⁄4 mile – 1:11.80; mile – 1:37.35; final – 2:04.06.
Splits for each quarter-mile: (22.99) (23.74) (25.07) (25.55) (26.71)

Source: Equibase Chart [1]

Payout

The 130th Kentucky Derby Payout Schedule
Program
Number		Horse Name
Win
Place
Show
15 Smarty Jones $10.20$6.20$4.80
3Lion Heart-$8.20$5.80
10Imperialism--$6.20

Subsequent racing careers

Several horses went on to win Grade I races:

Subsequent breeding careers

Sires of Classic winners

Tapit – leading sire in North America 2014-2016 [13]

  • Tonalist – 2014 Belmont Stakes, Jockey Club Gold Cup, 2015 Cigar Mile, Jockey Club Gold Cup
  • Creator – 2016 Belmont Stakes, Arkansas Derby
  • Tapwrit – 2017 Belmont Stakes
  • Untapable – 2014 Kentucky Oaks, Mother Goose Stakes, Cotillion, Breeders' Cup Distaff, 2015 Apple Blossom
  • Frosted – 2015 Wood Memorial, 2016 Metropolitan Handicap, Whitney Stakes

Birdstone

  • Mine That Bird – 2009 Kentucky Derby
  • Summer Bird – 2009 Belmont Stakes, Travers Stakes, Jockey Club Gold Cup
  • Noble Bird – 2015 Stephen Foster Handicap

Pollard's Vision

  • Blind Luck – 2010 Kentucky Oaks, Las Virgenes Stakes, Alabama Stakes, 2009 Oak Leaf Stakes, Hollywood Starlet, 2011 Vanity Handicap

Sires of Grade I winners

Lion Heart

  • Dangerous Midge – 2010 Breeders' Cup Turf
  • Lion of David – 2010 Arkansas Derby
  • Bradester – 2016 Stephen Foster Handicap
  • Tom's Tribute – 2014 Eddie Read Stakes

Imperialism

  • Imperial Hint – 2017 and 2018 Alfred G. Vandebilt, Vosburgh

Read the Footnotes

  • Rightly So – 2010 Ballerina Stakes
Sources: American Classic Pedigrees, Equibase, Blood-Horse Stallion Register, Racing Post

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Funny Cide</span> American-bred Thoroughbred racehorse (2000–2023)

Funny Cide was an American Thoroughbred champion racehorse who won the 2003 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes. He was the first New York-bred horse to win the Kentucky Derby. He was a popular horse and remained a fan favorite in retirement at the Kentucky Horse Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Smarty Jones</span> American-bred Thoroughbred racehorse

Smarty Jones is a champion Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 2004 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes and came second in the Belmont Stakes.

Elusive Quality was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who was a record-setting sprinter on the racetrack and the leading sire in North America of 2004. He sired the 2004 Kentucky Derby winner Smarty Jones.

Birdstone is an American Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the 2004 Belmont Stakes and has become a successful sire.

Unbridled was a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 1990 Kentucky Derby and Breeders' Cup Classic.

Spend a Buck was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 1985 Kentucky Derby.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tonalist</span> American Thoroughbred racehorse

Tonalist is an American Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the 2014 Belmont Stakes, beating the favored California Chrome, who was attempting to win the Triple Crown. Tonalist won the Peter Pan Stakes in May 2014. He is the first horse since A.P. Indy in 1992 to win the Peter Pan/Belmont double. Later in the year he defeated older horses to win the Jockey Club Gold Cup.

The Arkansas Derby is an American flat Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held annually in April at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas. It is currently a Grade I race run over a distance of 1 1/8 miles on dirt.

Lil E. Tee was an American-bred Thoroughbred racehorse who in 1992 scored one of the biggest upsets in the history of the Kentucky Derby.

Round Pond is a retired American Thoroughbred racehorse. A two-time Eclipse Award finalist, she is best known for winning the 2006 Breeders' Cup Distaff.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hard Spun</span> American-bred Thoroughbred racehorse

Hard Spun is an American Thoroughbred racehorse that finished second in the 2007 Kentucky Derby.

The 2007 Kentucky Derby was the 133rd running of the Kentucky Derby. The race took place on May 5, 2007. The announced attendance was 156,635, the third largest in Derby history.

The Smarty Jones Stakes is a Listed American Thoroughbred horse race for 3-year-olds contested on dirt at a distance of one mile run annually in mid-January at Oaklawn Park Race Track in Hot Springs, Arkansas. The Smarty Jones is worth $150,000.

Eddington is a millionaire American Thoroughbred racehorse and successful sire bred in Kentucky by Carl Rosen and Associates and raced under the Willmott Stables banner. He finished racing with a record of 6-3-6 in 17 starts and career earnings of $1,216,760. Eddington was best known for his wins in the Grade I Pimlico Special and the Grade II Gulfstream Park Handicap as well as his in-the-money showing in the Grade I Preakness Stakes. As a yearling, he was sent to Ocala, Florida, to the master horsemen Art Fisher.

The 2003 Kentucky Derby was the 129th running of the Kentucky Derby. The race took place on May 3, 2003, and was won by longshot Funny Cide. There were 148,530 in attendance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Creator (horse)</span> American-bred Thoroughbred racehorse

Creator is a retired American Thoroughbred racehorse, best known as the winner of the 2016 Belmont Stakes and Arkansas Derby.

The 2004 Belmont Stakes was the 136th running of the Belmont Stakes. The 1+1⁄2-mile (2,400 m) race, known as the "test of the champion" and sometimes called the "final jewel" in thoroughbred horse racing's Triple Crown series, was held on June 5, 2004, three weeks after the Preakness Stakes and five weeks after the Kentucky Derby.

Tiz the Law is an American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 2020 Belmont Stakes and Travers Stakes. He was the first New York-bred horse to win the Belmont since Forester in 1882. He also won the 2019 Champagne Stakes and 2020 Florida Derby, and came second in the 2020 Kentucky Derby.

Jackie's Warrior is a Champion American Thoroughbred racehorse who has won five Grade I events including the Hopeful Stakes at Saratoga, the Champagne Stakes at Belmont Park in 2020 and the H. Allen Jerkens Memorial Stakes at Saratoga (2021). Jackie's Warrior was awarded as Eclipse Award as American Champion Sprint Horse in 2021. In 2022 won the Grade I Churchill Downs Stakes and Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap at Saratoga.

Angel of Empire is an American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the Grade I Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park and Grade II Risen Star Stakes at the Fair Grounds in 2023 as a three-year-old.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Chart of the Kentucky Derby". www.equibase.com. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
  2. 1 2 "Cella to Present Smarty Jones' $5 Million Bonus Monday". BloodHorse.com. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
  3. ↑ Kentucky Derby History, 2004
  4. ↑ "Lion Heart profile". www.equibase.com. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
  5. ↑ "Castledale profile". www.equibase.com. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
  6. ↑ "The Cliff's Edge". www.equibase.com. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
  7. ↑ "Tapit profile". www.equibase.com. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
  8. ↑ "Friends Lake profile". www.equibase.com. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
  9. ↑ "Imperialism profile". www.equibase.com. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
  10. 1 2 Drape, Joe (2 May 2004). "Muddy Perfection for Smarty Jones in the Derby". The New York Times. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
  11. 1 2 "Smarty Jones earns largest payoff ever for race win". www.espn.com. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
  12. ↑ 2004 Kentucky Derby Results, Horse-races.net
  13. ↑ Russo, Nicole. "Leading sires of 2016: Tapit continues to raise the bar". Daily Racing Form. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.