Twenty-one years after he captured two-thirds of the Triple Crown and in his first year on the ballot, Smarty Jones became a member of Thoroughbred racing’s Hall of Fame.
Smarty Jones, who in 2004 captured racing fans’ imagination and arguably helped save the industry in Pennsylvania, heads the list of seven new inductees, the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame announced Thursday. He is joined by racehorses Decathlon and Hermis as well as trainer George Conway, who were chosen by the 1900-1959 Historic Review Committee; and Ed Bowen, Arthur Hancock III, and Richard Ten Broeck, elected by the Pillars of the Turf Committee.
The induction ceremony will be held on Aug. 1 at the Fasig-Tipton sales pavilion in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
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From a ballot that offered eight Thoroughbreds, seven trainers, and one jockey, Smarty Jones was the only one in the contemporary category to receive the necessary votes -- 50 percent of the ballots returned plus one -- to earn induction.
A total of 157 ballots were returned from 171 eligible to cast votes. Voters could select as many -- or as few -- nominees as they desired. Those on the ballot who did not receive the necessary votes for induction were horses Blind Luck, Game On Dude, Groupie Doll, Havre de Grace, Kona Gold, Lady Eli, and Rags to Riches; trainers Christophe Clement, Kiaran McLaughlin, Kenny McPeek, Graham Motion, Doug O’Neill, John Sadler, and John Shirreffs; and jockey Jorge Chavez.
Voters have not selected a contemporary trainer since 2021, when Todd Pletcher and the steeplechase trainer Jack Fisher were inducted.
The candidates in the Historic Review and Pillars of the Turf categories were required to receive 75 percent approval from the respective committees to earn election.
Smarty Jones, a son of Elusive Quality, campaigned by the Someday Farm of Roy and Pat Chapman and trained by John Servis, compiled a record of 8-1-0 from nine career starts. In 2004, he won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness -- the latter by a record 11 1/2 lengths -- and went into the Belmont Stakes undefeated in eight starts, something that hadn’t been accomplished since Seattle Slew in 1977.
In the Belmont, Smarty Jones, ridden by Stewart Elliott, had the lead in mid-stretch but was run down by Birdstone, who beat Smarty Jones by a length in front of a Belmont Stakes record crowd of 120,139.
Smarty Jones never ran again after the Belmont, owing to significant cartilage loss that veterinarians feared could have put him at risk for injury had he raced again.
The success of Smarty Jones might have helped save racing in the state of Pennsylvania. In 2004, a bill that legalized casino gaming was passed, with a portion of that handle going to horse racing purses.
“I think Smarty Jones was the one that saved this industry because from that came casino gambling,” Joseph DiGirolamo, the longtime mayor of Bensalem Township, Pa., where Parx Racing is located, said in a documentary about Smarty Jones released last year. “That was all on the back of Smarty Jones.”
Decathlon, who raced from 1955-57 for owner Robert Dienst and trainer Rollie Shepp, compiled a record of 25-8-1 from 42 starts during his career. He won 18 stakes and was twice voted champion sprinter. He set track records at Monmouth Park, Suffolk Downs, and Tropical Park. Following his racing career, Decathlon stood at Darby Dan Farm in Kentucky, where he sired 165 winners from 253 foals, including 12 stakes winners.
Hermis raced from 1901-05 and had a record of 28-8-6 from 55 starts. He won 14 stakes and was voted Horse of the Year in 1902 and 1903. Hermis was champion 3-year-old male in 1902 and champion older male in 1903-04.
He had three trainers -- Charles Hughes, Jake McCormick, and Alexander Shields -- and several owners, including Edward R. Thomas, who paid a then-record $60,000 to buy the horse.
Conway (1873-1939) was best known for training War Admiral to the 1937 Triple Crown and to an overall record of 21-3-1 from 26 starts. Conway also conditioned Hall of Fame member Crusader, as well as standouts Speed Boat, War Glory, and War Hero, among others.
Conway was the stable foreman for owner Sam Riddle in 1919-20 when Man o’ War dominated the sport. He succeeded Gwyn Tompkins as Riddle’s head trainer in 1926 and saddled Crusader to victories in the Belmont Stakes, Jockey Club Gold Cup, Suburban Handicap, among others that year.
Bowen (1942-2025) was a prolific racing journalist and historian for more than 60 years and served the sport in various other capacities, including 24 years as president of the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation. A native of Welch, W. Va., Bowen was an Eclipse Award-winning journalist, editor in chief of The BloodHorse, author of 22 books about horse racing, and chairman of the National Museum of Racing’s Hall of Fame Nominating Committee from 1987 through 2024.
Arthur Hancock III, a native of Nashville, Tenn., has been a significant presence in American racing and breeding through his establishment in 1970 of Stone Farm near Paris, Ky. Hancock, in partnership with Manhattan real estate broker Leone J. Peters, bred and raced Gato Del Sol, who won the 1982 Kentucky Derby. Hancock and Peters also teamed up to breed Risen Star, winner of the 1988 Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes. Through H-G-W Partners, Hancock owned and raced Hall of Fame member and 1989 Horse of the Year Sunday Silence, whose wins included the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Breeders’ Cup Classic. Hancock also co-bred 2000 Kentucky Derby winner Fusaichi Pegasus.
Ten Broeck (1811-1892) was one of American racing’s most prominent and accomplished figures in the 19th century, enjoying success as a racehorse and racetrack owner, Thoroughbred breeder, and international racing pioneer. A native of Albany, N.Y., Ten Broeck’s family traces its American roots to the Revolutionary War, as both his grandfathers served with distinction in the fight for independence.
Ten Broeck took over the management of Bingaman (Louisiana) and Bascombe (Alabama) race courses in 1847. Four years later, he purchased Metairie Race Course in New Orleans for $27,000. Under his management, Metairie became the premier track in the country in the decade prior to the Civil War. Ten Broeck increased purses and drew top horses from Kentucky, Maryland, Virginia, and Missouri. He renovated and expanded the track’s grandstand and encouraged the social elite of New Orleans, including women, to support racing by offering lavish facilities.
Ten Broeck later purchased Lecomte, Prioress, and Starke to race in England and became the first American owner to win an important race in that country. Prioress, at odds of 100-1, finished in a triple dead-heat in the 1858 Cesarewitch Stakes. Prioress won the run-off, and the victory received extensive coverage in American newspapers as the horse became the first bred and owned by an American to win in England. Prioress also won the Great Yorkshire and Queen’s Plate in England. Ten Broeck raced in England for around 30 years. He was received warmly there and became the first American member in the English Jockey Club.
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