HORSE RACING Servis, Smarty Jones jell as team

John Servis turned out to be the right trainer for Smarty Jones.
BENSALEM, Pa. (AP) -- He was a grieving horse owner ready to quit the business for good. The death of his longtime friend and trainer had convinced Roy Chapman it was time to clear the barn and enjoy retirement.
There was one colt, though, that showed some promise. There was one last chance to leave a legacy.
So, in early 2002, Chapman called a trusted friend and former trainer, Mark Reid. He told Reid he may have a special horse and needed a confident local horseman who could take the show on the road and finally get him to -- not win, just get him to -- the Kentucky Derby.
Reid did not hesitate. He told Chapman he had the right man for the job.
The man was John Servis. The horse was Smarty Jones. And they are one win away from racing immortality.
Servis has stories
Servis, 45, has regaled the horse racing public with stories about Smarty Jones. How did Smarty get hurt? Time and again, Servis has told the story with the same enthusiasm as he did the first time. He wore a Flyers jersey at a public workout, signs autographs and has made a personal connection as a man-of-the-people with the notoriously fickle Philly fans.
But he's never let the public responsibilities interfere with his Smarty obligations.
"I remember a guy who was very confident in his abilities," Reid said. "He never lost focus. He always had his eye on the ball."
And, perhaps, an eye for future talent. In the summer of 1981 at Atlantic City, N.J., Servis struck a friendship with an apprentice named Stewart Elliott. The two became fast friends thanks to their love of horses, hunting and fishing.
Elliott rode for Servis for years, mostly at Philadelphia Park. Both enjoyed success, but they were a couple of journeyman who hardly seemed destined for the big time.
Turned to Reid
That all changed when Smarty Jones' original trainer, Bob Camac, was murdered in the fall of 2001. Roy and Patricia Chapman, who made their fortune through car dealerships, wanted out of the business and turned to Reid to help them with that one frisky, speedy colt some raved about.
Not long after Reid called Servis, the trainer reached out to Elliott.
The chemistry has been perfect. So have the results.
"We have a game plan of what's supposed to happen in a race," Elliott said. "He trusts my judgment because you never know what's going to happen. For two friends in the same business to come up with a horse that can even win the Kentucky Derby, that's pretty special in itself."
It was Servis who sat down with the Chapmans earlier this year and told them all about Elliott's past troubles with alcohol. Servis knew if the horse were as good as he thought it was, stories of Elliott's past would soon surface. Neither wanted the Chapmans to be surprised.
"I credit John for that," said Elliott, whose past would indeed come back to haunt him.
The idea was only one part of Smarty's perfect path. The trainer drew up an unusual but flawless Kentucky Derby campaign that went through Arkansas. On Saturday, the undefeated Derby and Preakness winner will try to capture the Belmont Stakes and become the first Triple Crown champion since Affirmed in 1978.
"John is one of the best trainers, if not the best trainer, to get a horse conditioned I've ever known," Roy Chapman said. "He's very patient with the horse. He took his time."