The 2004 Kentucky Derby was the 130th running of the

Kentucky Derby The Kentucky Derby is a horse race held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States, almost always on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The competition is a Grade I stakes race for three-year ...

. The race took place on May 1, 2004 and was won by

Smarty Jones Smarty Jones (February 28, 2001) is a champion Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 2004 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes and came second in the Belmont Stakes. Background Born at Fairthorne Farm in Chester County, Pennsylvania, the horse was ...

, who earned a $5 million bonus. There were 140,054 in attendance.

Contenders

was the 4-1 favorite for the race. He came into the Derby with an undefeated record, including wins in the

Rebel Stakes The Rebel Stakes is a Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old horses at a distance of one and one-sixteenth miles on the dirt run annually in March, at Oaklawn Park Race Track in Hot Springs, Arkansas. The event currently offe ...

and

Arkansas Derby The Arkansas Derby is an American flat Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held annually in April at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas. It is currently a Grade I race run over a distance of 1 1/8 miles (9 furlongs) on dirt. In 2004, t ...

, both held at

Oaklawn Park Oaklawn Plantation may refer to: *Oaklawn (Huntsville, Alabama), listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) *Oaklawn Plantation (Leon County, Florida) *Oaklawn Plantation (Natchez, Louisiana) The Oaklawn Plantation is a historic pl ...

. If he won the Kentucky Derby, he stood to earn a $5 million "Centennial Bonus" offered by Oaklawn to celebrate its 100th anniversary. His leading rivals included Lion Heart (Hollywood Futurity, 2nd in Blue Grass Stakes), Castledale (Santa Anita Derby), The Cliff's Edge (Blue Grass Stakes),

Tapit Tapit (foaled February 27, 2001, in Kentucky) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse who won three of his six races, including the Wood Memorial Stakes, then a Graded stakes race, Grade I event. He was an immediate success after retiring to stud, ...

(Wood Memorial), Friends Lake (Florida Dery), and Imperialism (San Rafael, 2nd in Santa Anita Derby). St. Averil and Wimbledon were originally entered but scratched from the race, meaning there were only 18 starters.

Full results

A "deluge" started about two hours before the race, turning a fast track sloppy. Lion Heart, breaking near the rail, ran a quick opening quarter mile of 22.99 seconds to get good position going into the first turn. His jockey Mike Smith then started to slow down the pace, completing the half mile in 46.73 and three-quarters in 1:11.80. Smarty Jones rated a few lengths behind then started his move on the far turn. The two raced heads apart as they entered the stretch, then Smarty Jones started to edge away to win by lengths. Smarty Jones became the first horse to win the Derby while undefeated since Seattle Slew in 1977. It was the first Derby win for his trainer, jockey and owner, all of whom were well known in the Mid Atlantic racing circuit but making their first start in the race. His 77-year-old owner Roy Chapman also bred the colt at Someday Farm in Pennsylvania. Chapman and his wife Patricia had owned and bred many horses over the years, but none had raced at the highest level. "We had a lot of ham-and-eggers," he said, "but sometimes you can cheer just as loud and get just as excited about winning a $10,000 claimer as a stakes. But we never raced at this level until Smarty came along. To have bred him and had him born on your farm, it's something... He is from Philly and I'm very proud of everything he's done." * Smarty Jones earnings included a $5 million racing series bonus Track condition: Fast Times: mile – 22.99; mile – 46.73; mile – 1:11.80; mile – 1:37.35; final – 2:04.06.
Splits for each quarter-mile: (22.99) (23.74) (25.07) (25.55) (26.71) Source: Equibase Chart

Payout

;The 130th Kentucky Derby Payout Schedule * $2

Exacta Parimutuel betting or pool betting is a betting system in which all bets of a particular type are placed together in a pool; taxes and the Vigorish, "house-take" or "vigorish" are deducted, and payoff Odds#Gambling odds versus probabilities, odds a ...

: (15-3) Paid $65.20 * $2

Trifecta Trifecta A trifecta is a parimutuel bet placed on a horse race in which the bettor must predict which horses will finish first, second, and third, in the exact order. Known as a trifecta in the US and Australia, this is known as a tricast in t ...

: (15-3-10) Paid $987.60 * $2

Superfecta {{Wiktionary The superfecta is a type of wager in USA and Canada parimutuel betting in which the bettor, in order to win, must pick the first four finishers of a race in the correct sequence. This is even more unlikely than a successful wager in th ...

: (15-3-10-1) Paid $41,380.20

Subsequent racing careers

Several horses went on to win Grade I races: * Smarty Jones – Preakness Stakes * Lion Heart – Haskell Invitational * Birdstone – Belmont Stakes, Travers Stakes * Borrego – 2005 Pacific Classic, Jockey Club Gold Cup * Castledale – 2005 Shoemaker Mile

Subsequent breeding careers

Sires of Classic winners

Tapit – leading sire in North America 2014-2016 *

Tonalist Tonalist (foaled February 11, 2011) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the 2014 Belmont Stakes, beating the favored California Chrome, who was attempting to win the Triple Crown. Tonalist won the Peter Pan Stakes in ...

– 2014 Belmont Stakes, Jockey Club Gold Cup, 2015 Cigar Mile, Jockey Club Gold Cup * Creator – 2016 Belmont Stakes, Arkansas Derby *

Tapwrit Tapwrit (foaled March 28, 2014) is a retired American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 2017 Belmont Stakes. He first attracted attention when he set a track record winning the Tampa Bay Derby, but disappointed in the Blue Grass Stakes and Ke ...

– 2017 Belmont Stakes *

Untapable Untapable (foaled 13 February 2011) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse. She showed promise as a two-year-old in 2013 when she won two of her four races including the Pocahontas Stakes and was placed in the Starlet Stakes. In 2014 she emerge ...

– 2014 Kentucky Oaks, Mother Goose Stakes, Cotillion, Breeders' Cup Distaff, 2015 Apple Blossom *

Frosted Frosted (stylised as FroSTed) was an American pop punk band, founded by ex-Go-Go's guitarist and singer Jane Wiedlin in 1995. The band was so-named because ''"it sounds sweet"''.''The Daily Aztec''link) The letters S and T were capitalised in tr ...

– 2015 Wood Memorial, 2016 Metropolitan Handicap, Whitney Stakes Birdstone *

Mine That Bird Mine That Bird (foaled May 10, 2006) is a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 2009 Kentucky Derby at 50-1 odds and came second in the Preakness Stakes and third in the Belmont Stakes. He had earnings of $2,228,637 and was inducte ...

– 2009 Kentucky Derby *

Summer Bird Summer Bird (April 7, 2006 – December 23, 2013) was a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse, son of 2004 Belmont Stakes winner Birdstone. He was bred by retired cardiologist Kalarikkal Jayaraman and his wife, retired pathologist Vilasini ...

– 2009 Belmont Stakes, Travers Stakes, Jockey Club Gold Cup * Noble Bird – 2015 Stephen Foster Handicap Pollard's Vision *

Blind Luck Blind Luck (foaled April 20, 2007 in Kentucky) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse. Background Blind Luck is a daughter of Pollard's Vision, winner of the Illinois Derby and the Lone Star Derby, and Lucky One. Blind Luck was purchased for $ ...

– 2010 Kentucky Oaks, Las Virgenes Stakes, Alabama Stakes, 2009 Oak Leaf Stakes, Hollywood Starlet, 2011 Vanity Handicap

Sires of Grade I winners

Lion Heart * Dangerous Midge – 2010 Breeders' Cup Turf * Lion of David – 2010 Arkansas Derby * Bradester – 2016 Stephen Foster Handicap * Tom's Tribute – 2014 Eddie Read Stakes Imperialism * Imperial Hint – 2017 and 2018 Alfred G. Vandebilt, Vosburgh Read the Footnotes * Rightly So – 2010 Ballerina Stakes Sources
American Classic PedigreesEquibaseBlood-Horse Stallion RegisterRacing Post
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References

{{Kentucky Derby

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 6 ...

Derby Derby ( ) is a city and unitary authority area in Derbyshire, England. It lies on the banks of the River Derwent in the south of Derbyshire, which is in the East Midlands Region. It was traditionally the county town of Derbyshire. Derby gai ...

May 2004 sports events in the United States