Triple Crown expected

Two trainers foresee Smarty Jones romping at Belmont in three weeks.
BALTIMORE (AP) -- After his record romp in the Preakness, the accolades came rolling in right behind Smarty Jones.
"We just witnessed something special," trainer Bob Baffert said Sunday from California. "It'll be great to see a tough, little horse win the Triple Crown."
"He looked like a superstar," added Bobby Frankel from New York. "He looks like a cinch in the Belmont unless something goes wrong."
Smarty Jones overpowered nine rivals and won the Preakness by a record 111/2 lengths Saturday, setting up a dramatic Triple Crown try in the Belmont Stakes on June 5.
By adding the Preakness to his Kentucky Derby victory two weeks ago, the undefeated chestnut colt will be heavily favored to become the 12th Triple Crown champion and first since Affirmed in 1978.
Fluid strides
And there aren't too many people believing Smarty won't come through. Yes, this will be the sixth Triple Crown try in the last eight years, and the 10th since Steve Cauthen rode Affirmed to narrow victories over Alydar.
But Smarty Jones has made winning look easy with his fluid strides and ability to turn on the speed in the stretch for jockey Stewart Elliott. Eight-for-eight so far, and a ninth would put him in elite company with the likes of Citation, War Admiral and Secretariat.
Trainer John Servis says Smarty came out of the Preakness as fit as can be. But Servis is now discovering that the grind of three races at three tracks at three distances in five weeks can take a toll.
"I realize now why there has only been a handful of horses to win the Triple Crown," he said. "It's a very grueling road and we've been on it since January.
Servis, though, also believes Smarty Jones is special.
"But I've got a good horse, and he's doing real well," he said. "As long as he continues to do how he is, we're going to go into the Belmont with a loaded gun."
Toughest test
Smarty Jones was loaded with run in the 13/16th-mile Preakness, a race Servis said would be his colt's toughest test yet.
It was a rout.
With one breathtaking surge at the top of the stretch, Smarty Jones left the field far behind, his lead building with every powerful stride over the final eighth of a mile. Rock Hard Ten was second, and Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens was amazed by the winner.
"I had another gear left. Unfortunately, when I hit the other gear, Smarty Jones hit about four more gears," Stevens said.
Baffert, who three times saw his horses fail to win the Belmont with a Triple on the line, says Smarty Jones has too much run in him for any of this year's 3-year-olds to handle.
"He's Mighty Mouse," Baffert said. "He's the only runner in the bunch. Rock Hard Ten may be the only one to give him a run, and he's so lightly raced you just don't know about that."
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