If memory serves in the 2004 Belmont they went 10 marks in 2 minutes flat or thereabouts. Smarty came home in about 27 seconds for a 2:27 and change finishing time. For comparison this year they went 10 marks in 2:04 and came home in .24 and change for a final time of 2.28.75. However the track was sealed and reharrowed before the Belmont and that may have affected its glibness. The last dirt race was also pedestrian compared to the early races. Visually, it appeared they were motoring early in the Belmont, so we'll have to defer to Tgraph on the number.

Smarty's loss last year was an aggregation of factors that similarly did in Alex in the Derby. Big previous efforts, a fast pace, running a legitimate distance while not at peak form, but I have to agree that Elliot was a factor too. Its very hard to believe he couldn't find a way to give Smarty a breather in that race. Smarty was never gonna lay 10 lengths off, but if he could have just laid 3 off like in the Derby, its a different outcome. Still considering the pace challenge and early move off contested pace it was a fine effort in defeat. Birdstone was a good horse and he would have finished well in the Classic had he not gone bad in the race.