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Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind
Out of curiosity, why would Oaklawn rename any stake after Smarty Jones?
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It seems to me that Smarty has had as much to do with the return of Oaklawn Park to some degree of prestige and credibility in the eyes of the racing public (especially on the Coasts) as the increased purses from the slot money. While his owners might have been money hungry and sent him to the breeding shed much too soon, ever since Smarty completed the Southwest/Rebel/Ark Derby path through Oaklawn, every 3YO who shows up at Oaklawn with a hope of making the Derby gets compared to him.
Maybe not the most logical response, but to me makes as much since as naming a race at Lone Star after Ouija Board...