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New York Times
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Ranking 2025 Kentucky Derby horse names: From Journalism to Chunk of Gold and Tiztastic
At first glance, the names read like a music festival lineup we're far too old for. Mandaloun, Mage, American Pharoah. Mystik Dan?! These are not new bands, rappers, synth-pop indie darlings or … whatever else we're doing these days. These are the winners of a sport's most prestigious competition. This year's Kentucky Derby is the 151st all-time running of the roses. It's an event that has persisted through multiple world wars and 30 U.S. presidencies. It's also an event with champions named I'll Have Another (2012), Smarty Jones (2004), Spend A Buck (1985) and Foolish Pleasure (1975). Advertisement The hopefuls in the running for 2025 have some rather strange names. Accordingly, here's our ultra-scientific ranking of the field, which had its post-position draw on Saturday. No wrong answers here, as it's a matter of taste and humor, but let us know which names are over- or underrated in the comments below. 1. Journalism It's what's happening right here, folks! This correspondent even got a college degree in it. Why is there a horse named Journalism? Does a horse have to fact-check its work or clear sources? Working theory: Jockey Umberto Rispoli loves 'All the President's Men.' 2. Publisher In which Penguin Random House becomes Pony Random House. Fear not, the rest of these entrants have nothing to do with the printing press. 3. Render Judgment This sounds like a 1980s Sylvester Stallone movie that wilted in the editing room. It probably had an awesome blues harmonica motif that played throughout the fight scenes. 'Time to render judgment!' could be the main character's triumphant catchphrase. We'd like to think that this horse, affectionately known as 'Rendy' by close horse friends, is one of the most open-minded and least judgmental horses of all time. 4. Final Gambit Another action movie franchise just waiting to happen. Here's to the green-lighting of Final Gambit 3: All Bets Are Off, starring Kurt Russell, or perhaps a second season of 'The Queen's Gambit.' No, that's asking for too much. 5. Neoequos Alternatively, this one sounds like a shadowy villain-boss from some '90s sci-fi series. 6. Chunk of Gold We're absolutely, unequivocally here for a physical competitor named 'chunk.' More powerful than a locomotive. Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. Faster than a speeding Chunk! 7. Coal Battle What could the Coal Battle be? Is rock-fight basketball on the NBA's Christmas Day program? Is it the annual rivalry game between Appalachian powerhouses? Is it a battle from within? Is there a rendering of judgment in the coal community? 8. Sandman We can hear this horse whinnying about 'Chalamet!' from the comfort of its wrinkled hoodie. 'Exit light, enter night.' Advertisement 9. Baeza (alternate) Named after Spain's municipality and World Heritage Site. Truthfully, any Spanish province makes for a cool-sounding name. 10. Admire Daytona Notice how the prior entry is without a directive. Our attention is called to Baeza, but what are we doing about it? Owner Junko Kondo informs us of the expectations. We don't have to visit Daytona, just show some appreciation from a distance. 11. Rodriguez The namesake is Sixto Rodriguez, but Rodriguez also evokes the man with 696 MLB home runs and one (1) breakup with Jennifer Lopez. Did we know that A-Rod once tried to compliment J-Lo by calling her an 'octopus threat?' Well, we know now. 12-13. Maps tier: Burnham Square, East Avenue Check traffic before heading over there. Trash and recycling go out on Thursdays. 14. Sovereignty Sounds more like the name of an off-roading sports utility vehicle. Matthew McConaughey delivers a somber monologue before the sped-up voice discusses special financing options for well-qualified buyers. 15. American Promise We'll choose to avoid the endless run of political jokes-turned-arguments and say it's a silly name for a horse. 16-18. Bad mashups tier: Flying Mohawk, Citizen Bull, Owen Almighty None of these are hitting, though Owen Almighty could clear the track with the flick of a hoof. 19. Luxor Cafe Is this just the title sponsorship for a local eatery? Is it located in Burnham Square or on East Avenue? Does it validate parking? Naming an entrant after a small business feels like a Little League baseball move. Search results for Luxor Cafe lead us to a coffee spot in Harvard Yard. The hot honey turkey sandwich does sound good, for what it's worth. 20. Grande Presumably one of the latte sizes offered at Luxor Cafe. 21. Tiztastic What was the intention here? Tiztastic has a sizable ownership list (Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC, plus three individuals), and none of them clocked that '-tastic' isn't a suffix? Or that 'fan' and 'tiz' do not rhyme? Our poorly-named protagonist here was sired by a racehorse named Tiz the Law. Consider what was left on the table: We mourn what could have been. Godspeed, Tiz Jr. (Illustrations by Dan Goldfarb; all photos by Andy Lyons / Getty Images)
NBC Sports
24-04-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Smarty Jones captured hearts on the 2004 Triple Crown trail. He's been elected to the Hall of Fame
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. — It's time for another Smarty party. Twenty-one years after Smarty Jones won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness, the chestnut colt has been elected to the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame announced that he was the lone candidate in the contemporary category to appear on the majority of ballots, with 50% plus one vote required for election. It was his first year on the ballot. Bred in Pennsylvania, Smarty Jones won eight of nine career starts and won the Eclipse Award for 3-year-old males in 2004. That year he became the first undefeated Kentucky Derby winner since Seattle Slew with a 2 3/4-length victory. Two weeks later, Smarty Jones won the Preakness by a record 11 1/2 lengths to set up a Triple Crown bid. His hard-luck story captured hearts along the way, with schoolchildren writing letters wishing him luck and people throwing Smarty parties. But he was beaten by a length in the Belmont Stakes by 36-1 shot Birdstone in front of a record crowd of 120,139 in New York. Smarty Jones retired after the Belmont with career earnings of $7,613,155. He was owned by Roy and Pat Chapman, trained by John Servis and ridden by Stewart Elliott. Also elected were racehorses Decathlon and Hermis and trainer George H. Conway by the 1900-1959 Historic Review Committee. Edward L. Bowen, Arthur B. Hancock III and Richard Ten Broeck were elected by the Pillars of the Turf Committee. The newest Hall of Fame members will be enshrined on Aug. 1 in Saratoga Springs, New York.
CBS News
24-04-2025
- Sport
- CBS News
Smarty Jones elected to Hall of Fame 21 years after capturing hearts on 2004 Triple Crown trail
It's time for another Smarty party. Twenty-one years after Smarty Jones won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness, the chestnut colt born at a farm in Chester County, Pennsylvania, has been elected to the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame announced Thursday that he was the lone candidate in the contemporary category to appear on the majority of ballots, with 50% plus one vote required for election. It was his first year on the ballot. Bred at Fairthorne Farm in Chester County, Smarty Jones won eight of nine career starts and won the Eclipse Award for 3-year-old males in 2004. That year he became the first undefeated Kentucky Derby winner since Seattle Slew with a 2 3/4-length victory. Two weeks later, Smarty Jones won the Preakness by a record 11 1/2 lengths to set up a Triple Crown bid. His hard-luck story captured hearts along the way, with schoolchildren writing letters wishing him luck and people throwing Smarty parties. FILE - Smarty Jones (15), with jockey Stewart Elliott up, drives down the stretch to win the Kentucky Derby horse race at Churchill Downs, Saturday, May 1, 2004, in Louisville, Ky. Daniel P. Derella/AP Photo But he was beaten by a length in the Belmont Stakes by 36-1 shot Birdstone in front of a record crowd of 120,139 in New York. Smarty Jones retired after the Belmont with career earnings of $7,613,155. He was owned by Roy and Pat Chapman, trained by John Servis and ridden by Stewart Elliott. Also elected were racehorses Decathlon and Hermis and trainer George H. Conway by the 1900-1959 Historic Review Committee. Edward L. Bowen, Arthur B. Hancock III and Richard Ten Broeck were elected by the Pillars of the Turf Committee. The newest Hall of Fame members will be enshrined on Aug. 1 in Saratoga Springs, New York.
San Francisco Chronicle
24-04-2025
- Sport
- San Francisco Chronicle
Smarty Jones captured hearts on the 2004 Triple Crown trail. He's been elected to the Hall of Fame
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. (AP) — It's time for another Smarty party. Twenty-one years after Smarty Jones won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness, the chestnut colt has been elected to the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame announced Thursday that he was the lone candidate in the contemporary category to appear on the majority of ballots, with 50% plus one vote required for election. It was his first year on the ballot. Bred in Pennsylvania, Smarty Jones won eight of nine career starts and won the Eclipse Award for 3-year-old males in 2004. That year he became the first undefeated Kentucky Derby winner since Seattle Slew with a 2 3/4-length victory. Two weeks later, Smarty Jones won the Preakness by a record 11 1/2 lengths to set up a Triple Crown bid. His hard-luck story captured hearts along the way, with schoolchildren writing letters wishing him luck and people throwing Smarty parties. But he was beaten by a length in the Belmont Stakes by 36-1 shot Birdstone in front of a record crowd of 120,139 in New York. Smarty Jones retired after the Belmont with career earnings of $7,613,155. He was owned by Roy and Pat Chapman, trained by John Servis and ridden by Stewart Elliott. Also elected were racehorses Decathlon and Hermis and trainer George H. Conway by the 1900-1959 Historic Review Committee. Edward L. Bowen, Arthur B. Hancock III and Richard Ten Broeck were elected by the Pillars of the Turf Committee. ___
Winnipeg Free Press
24-04-2025
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Smarty Jones captured hearts on the 2004 Triple Crown trail. He's been elected to the Hall of Fame
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. (AP) — It's time for another Smarty party. Twenty-one years after Smarty Jones won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness, the chestnut colt has been elected to the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame announced Thursday that he was the lone candidate in the contemporary category to appear on the majority of ballots, with 50% plus one vote required for election. It was his first year on the ballot. Bred in Pennsylvania, Smarty Jones won eight of nine career starts and won the Eclipse Award for 3-year-old males in 2004. That year he became the first undefeated Kentucky Derby winner since Seattle Slew with a 2 3/4-length victory. Two weeks later, Smarty Jones won the Preakness by a record 11 1/2 lengths to set up a Triple Crown bid. His hard-luck story captured hearts along the way, with schoolchildren writing letters wishing him luck and people throwing Smarty parties. But he was beaten by a length in the Belmont Stakes by 36-1 shot Birdstone in front of a record crowd of 120,139 in New York. During Elections Get campaign news, insight, analysis and commentary delivered to your inbox during Canada's 2025 election. Smarty Jones retired after the Belmont with career earnings of $7,613,155. He was owned by Roy and Pat Chapman, trained by John Servis and ridden by Stewart Elliott. Also elected were racehorses Decathlon and Hermis and trainer George H. Conway by the 1900-1959 Historic Review Committee. Edward L. Bowen, Arthur B. Hancock III and Richard Ten Broeck were elected by the Pillars of the Turf Committee. The newest Hall of Fame members will be enshrined on Aug. 1 in Saratoga Springs, New York. ___ AP horse racing:
