CROWNING MOMENT!

For jockey, feat comes late in life

Twenty years ago, jockey Mike Smith nearly had his racing career come to an end after he had a hellish fall at Saratoga. Smith got launched off his horse and landed on the turf before the 1,300-pound mare he was riding, Dacron, fell on top of him, breaking two of Smith’s vertebrae. Smith was in a body cast for several months.

But Smith went on to carve out a Hall of Fame career, and capped his resume with a thrilling win at the 150th running of the Belmont Stakes Saturday aboard Justify, who became the sport of king’s 13th Triple Crown champion.

That Smith accomplished the feat at age 52 — becoming the oldest jockey to hold that Triple Crown honor — when most jockeys are perhaps thinking about that rocking chair on the porch, makes the feat all the more impressive.

“I knew if (Justify) jumped well, he’s just faster than they are,” a beaming Smith said after Justify clipped the finish line at 2 minutes, 28.18 seconds, just ahead of Gronkowski.

Smith had won the Belmont two times before, in 2010 and 2013, but never had ridden at the big track in Elmont with the Triple Crown on the line.

Justify immediately broke out of the gate and went left toward the rail, and Smith had Justify in the lead wire to wire, with Gronkowski making a late surge in the final stretch after spending most of the race in the back of the 10-horse field. “The whole time, (Justify) was just so professional. He was taking the crowd in well,” said Smith. “He was standing so good (in the gate), almost too good. He probably broke better today than he has out of the other two (Triple Crown legs). He left very good.” When it was over, Smith, who wore scarlet silks with yellow stars, looked to the skies. The Roswell, N.M., native said maybe he wasn’t ready or prepared to take on a Triple Crown challenge at a younger age, although he added that the pressure to compete at this level wasn’t any easier as a 50-something. “It’s a little hectic,” Smith said. “It took this long, but I was ready. I even took a nap (Saturday). I felt great. I knew what I got underneath me.” And Smith knew what was underneath Justify when it counted most. “He’s such a good horse. He listens to you,” said Smith. “I waited as long as I could before I really put the pedal to the metal. First corner was just a little bit quick. After that he settled down and got into a great rhythm. When I asked him, he dug in.”