Smarty Jones will have last tune-up before bid

The Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner will run at Philadelphia Park.
BENSALEM, Pa. (AP) -- Smarty Jones will have his final tune-up Friday at Philadelphia Park before running in the Belmont Stakes.
Trainer John Servis said Monday that his Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner will breeze seven-eighths of a mile with jockey Stewart Elliott aboard.
The undefeated colt will then be shipped to New York on June 2 -- three days before the Belmont Stakes in which he will attempt to become the first Triple Crown champion since Affirmed in 1978.
"I'll probably work him a slow seven furlongs for him," Servis said. "I don't want him too sharp."
Servis' plans for Smarty Jones have changed the past few days. Earlier, the trainer said he'd like to keep Smarty at his hometown track as long as possible, even as late as the day before the Belmont.
New approach
But following Smarty's 13/4-mile morning gallop under exercise rider Pete van Trump, Servis revealed a new approach: Smarty was to gallop two miles today; 11/2 miles on Wednesday and Thursday; and then have his first timed workout since April 24 -- a week before he won the Kentucky Derby.
In the two weeks between the Derby and Preakness, Smarty Jones had a series of gallops before winning the second leg of the Triple Crown by a record 111/2 lengths. Since then, Smarty has been limited to jogs and restrained gallops.
Last year, Derby and Preakness winner Funny Cide worked five-eighths of a mile in a blazing 574/5 seconds the Tuesday before the Belmont, and that may have hurt his Triple chances. Funny Cide finished third behind Empire Maker.
Extra days to rest
Servis considered Funny Cide's pre-Belmont blowout in making his plans, but added that Smarty usually breezes five-eighths and he wanted his colt to have a few extra days to rest.
"Right now, the big thing is to try to take a little edge off him," Servis said.
Servis said Smarty doesn't seem as aggressive as he was in recent days, a good sign as the 11/2-mile Belmont approaches.
"I'm seeing what I like," Servis said. "He didn't kick any feed tubs off the wall yesterday, and that tells me he's not full of himself."