Smarty Jones wins Derby

Smarty Jones, ridden by Stewart Elliott, improved his record to 7-0 when he won the Kentucky Derby on this date in 2004, making him the first undefeated Derby winner since Seattle Slew in 1977.

A muddy surface at Churchill Downs didn’t slow the Pennsylvania-bred 3-year-old, who overtook Lion Heart in the stretch to win by 2¾ lengths. The victory, coupled with earlier wins in the Rebel Stakes and Arkansas Derby, earned owners Pat and Roy Chapman a $5-million bonus from Oaklawn Park in Arkansas.

Smarty Jones would go on to win the Preakness Stakes but could not complete the Triple Crown, finishing second by a length to Birdstone in the Belmont Stakes.

If the baseball season hadn’t been postponed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Angels would have celebrated Shohei Ohtani bobblehead night Friday with the first of three games against the Minnesota Twins at Angel Stadium. The Dodgers would have started May with a threegame series against the Padres in San Diego.

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Here is a look at memorable games and outstanding sports performances on this date:

1920 — Joe Oeschger of the Boston Braves and Leon Cadore of the Brooklyn Dodgers each pitch 26 innings in a 1-1 tie, the longest game in major league history. The marathon tilt, which is called because of darkness, is played at Braves Field in Boston. The right-handed pitchers are both 28 years old.

1948 — In a field of six horses, the smallest since 1907, jockey Eddie Arcaro rides Citation to a 3½-length victory over stablemate Coaltown in the Kentucky Derby. It is the toughest of Citation’s three Triple Crown races. He goes on to win the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes.

Sources: The Times, Associated Press