Smarty Jones is set to become racing's richest horse if he is successful in his bid to complete a clean sweep in America's Triple Crown at Belmont Park next month.
The unbeaten colt added a scintillating Preakness Stakes success to his Kentucky Derby triumph and is now on course for the third leg in the Belmont Stakes on June 5th.
Smarty Jones has a chance to become just the 12th Triple Crown champion and the first to win the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont since Affirmed in 1978.
The last undefeated Triple Crown winner was Seattle Slew in 1977. He would also claim another $5million bonus and become racing's richest horse.
Smarty Jones earned his connections a $5million bonus when he won the Rebel Stakes, Arkansas Derby and Kentucky Derby. He now is eligible for the $5million Visa Triple Crown Challenge, which is offered to a horse that wins the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Belmont Stakes.
Saturday's victory moved Smarty Jones to fourth on the all-time list with earnings of $7,363,535. With success in the Belmont Stakes, he would overtake Cigar as the all-time money winning horse.
In the Preakness John Servis' charge extended his unbeaten run to eight races as he romped home by a record winning margin of 11 and a half lengths from Rock Hard Ten at Pimlico.
The son of Elusive Quality broke well and tracked Churchill Downs runner-up Lion Heart in the early stages. Stewart Elliott made his move on board the 3/5 favourite entering the final turn, getting up the inside of the leader.
From thereon in the result was never in doubt as Smarty Jones powered further and further away up the home straight. Elliott told www.thoroughbredtimes.com: "When he responded turning for home, I knew we had the race won. He's by far the best horse I've ever been on."
And the jockey believes the extra two furlongs at Belmont Park will provide no problems. "He handled the race just very easily, galloped out strong, and he wasn't even really blowing that hard after the race," Elliott added.
"It didn't seem like it took much out of him at all. As for the mile and a half, I think he'll do whatever I want him to, so I don't think that will be a problem."
Servis was relieved that Smarty Jones had coped with having just two weeks to recover between Churchill Downs and Pimlico. He said: "Someone asked me if I was as confident as I was going into the Derby and I said, `No. I think he's coming back in two weeks, he's a little vulnerable'.
"However, he came out of the Derby so good that we elected to come to the Preakness.
Rock Hard Ten plugged on gamely to be a distant second while Eddington pipped the fading Lion Heart for third. The runner-up's trainer Jason Orman said: "I have a good horse, but that was a great horse that beat us."