Michelle Kwan, Diana DeGarmo, and Smarty Jones

What they have in common, is I wish that they would all win the Big One. In MK's case, it is the Olympic Gold, where in Diana DeGarmo's it is American Idol and Smarty's the Triple Crown of thoroughbred racing. I appreciate all those things, but when it comes to my favorites, sadly, they lose sometimes, and I wish they'd all cheer me up.

The difference is, for Smarty he can go on to win (possibly) such races as the Travers and Haskells or Breeders Cup which would guarantee he his position as champion 3 year old (even Horse of the Year if he takes the Breeders Classic but that is a long way off). He may or may not go on to race as a 4 year old (I hope he does for the helath of the racing industry. Afterthat, there will be endelss bands of regally bred fillies waiting to make his acquantaince (so to speak). I dont think that these are the type of rewards are waiting for Michelle or Diaina deGarmo

What I love about racing, skating and gymnastics is the beauty and athletic ability, plus there is always something new going on and a new up-and-coming performer.

All three give me a rush to watch.

bronxgirl said:

After that, there will be endelss bands of regally bred fillies waiting to make his acquantaince (so to speak). I dont think that these are the type of rewards are waiting for Michelle or Diaina deGarmo

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They said on TV that the stud contract offer was up to $40,000,000 ($50,000,000 if he had won the Belmont. Oh well, money isn't everything, as long as you enjoy your work. Smarty says, I just want to race and have fun.

MM

Mathman said:

They said on TV that the stud contract offer was up to $40,000,000 ($50,000,000 if he had won the Belmont. Oh well, money isn't everything, as long as you enjoy your work. Smarty says, I just want to race and have fun.

MM

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I'm sure that this is why Funny Cide has been so depressed since his loss in the Belmont last year. It finally dawned on him what he'll be missing.

Another difference is michelle is considered the best of her field for most of her career and although she had an off season she may still retain that title. I don't Diana is the best. I think maybe she was the top 4,5 or 6 singer. Smarty has more of a chance than Michelle at the big one but both are the best that came in second. The best person of the 2 rightfully won AI.

Diana~She lost because she wasnt as good...

MK~She lost beause she held back...

Smarty~He lost beacuse his jockey ran him too fast at the beginning and he didnt have the energy to give it that last push at the end.

Out of the three...the only one I feel even the slightest bit bad about is Smarty...

Actually, the jockey was trying to get Smarty Jones to relax, but with Rock Hard Ten and Eddington coming after him early in the race, Smarty just wouldn't relax, so he had nothing left for the last quarter mile. The jockey gave him a good ride, Smarty just listened to his own instincts instead.

And don't feel bad for Smarrty. He still has the rest of this year in racing, possibly even next year, and then a lifetime of cavorting with the best mares and fillies on the planet as a pampered stud. He's be just fine

Darned right, bronxgirl! You could see Stu Elliott tugging hard on the reins as they entered the backstretch. It isn't Elliott's fault that Smarty didn't win. Jerry Bailey (on Eddington) and Alex Solis (on Rock Hard 10) sacrificed their horses to ensure that Smarty would be pushed to the limit. To me, that seemed entirely unsportsmanlike, as both knew their horses couldn't possibly beat Smarty. All it did was set the race up for a real nonentity (Birdstone) to win by running at a leisurely pace throughout the race so he could pass all the tired horses (including Smarty) at the end.

The problem for Birdstone from now on is that there aren't any more 1.5 mile races for 3-year-olds!

Ironically, if there had been heavy rain as had been predicted, Nick Zito would have scratched both Birdstone and Royal Assault (who finished 3rd), and Smarty would have won the Triple Crown.

BTW, if Funny Cide HAD won the Triple Crown last year, he'd still be racing anyway. Since he is a gelding, the breeding shed was never an option for him.

chuckm said:

Darned right, bronxgirl! You could see Stu Elliott tugging hard on the reins as they entered the backstretch. It isn't Elliott's fault that Smarty didn't win. Jerry Bailey (on Eddington) and Alex Solis (on Rock Hard 10) sacrificed their horses to ensure that Smarty would be pushed to the limit. To me, that seemed entirely unsportsmanlike, as both knew their horses couldn't possibly beat Smarty. All it did was set the race up for a real nonentity (Birdstone) to win by running at a leisurely pace throughout the race so he could pass all the tired horses (including Smarty) at the end.

The problem for Birdstone from now on is that there aren't any more 1.5 mile races for 3-year-olds!

Ironically, if there had been heavy rain as had been predicted, Nick Zito would have scratched both Birdstone and Royal Assault (who finished 3rd), and Smarty would have won the Triple Crown.

BTW, if Funny Cide HAD won the Triple Crown last year, he'd still be racing anyway. Since he is a gelding, the breeding shed was never an option for him.

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I think that's why Funny Cide is still depressed since the Belmont last year. Empire Maker must have told him what he's going to be missing in the future

Smarty's trainer said he could see that Smarty never "settled into the race" early on. I guess that's another way of saying Snarty looked tense. Anyway, by mid-race, Smarty's trainer said he knew Smarty wasn't going to win. Some races are just like that. And they're especially unfortunate to have when they're the 1.5 miles of the Belmont when you've won the Derby and the Preakness.

Great analyses by Bronxgirl and ChuckM re Smarty's potential for future wins. Of course it would have been great if Smarty had won the TC, but he's still a great horse. Whatever happens, I think Smarty is going to have a fine time and bring a pretty penny out to stud. He be happy pony.

As for Michelle, she has gobs more money, fans, and respect of the entire skating world and is already in the history books. Sure, it would be great if she won the gold in Torino, but if not, I think the only problem she'll have is what to choose out of the gabillion offers she'll get when (if) she decides to retire from eligible skating. Plus she's gorgeous! Michelle be happy whatever she wants.

Diana DeGarmo, lest we forget, is only 16. I think she now has the opportunity to (a) be the #2 featured singer on the AI tour; (b) finish high school; (c) consider recording offers, which I'm sure she'll be getting; and (d) get to mature vocally and as a person so that when she does come out with her first single and CD, she'll be ready for it. Record producers know people love her and love means money in the entertainment biz, so I'm sure she'll do well. Besides, Ruben won the AI title last year, but compared to Clay's record and concert ticket sales, it's not much of contest (sadly for Ruben).

So it goes without saying that winners in the short run don't necessarily turn out to be winners in the long run. Example: Tara Lipinski. I like Tara, liked her skating, but winning the '98 Olympic gold came at the cost of her hip from practicing the 3lp/3lp. I hope she does well in something else, but she'll never skate again like she once did.

Another example was in the Top 20 of E!'s "101 Hollywood Best Kept Secrets." They said that for the film "The Graduate," Dustin Hoffman was the third choice to play Benjamin Braddock behind #1 choice Warren Beatty and #2 Robert Redford. Anne Bancroft was the third choice to play Mrs. Robinson behind #1 Olivia de Haviland (I think, not sure about this one) and #2 Doris Day (already knew about Doris; she didn't take the part because she had a TV show in the works and she was afraid it would hurt her "nice girl" image; she was probably right). So it was the third choice cast for the leads--in other words, the "losers"--that made 1967's "The Graduate" the highest grossing film of the year and a classic. Although I bet Doris could have made a mean Mrs. R. BTW, Bancroft was only six years older than Hoffman at the time of filming.

I think Smarty, Diana, and Michelle are great already (Diana for a 16-year-old) and will do great and IMO, don't come anywhere near the category of loser.
Rgirl

Warren and Olivia, bleck!

I love hearing first picks for movie roles that went on to become legends. Shirley Temple as Dorothy Gale from Kansas, Joan Crawford making out on the Pearl Harbor beach, etc.. In retrospect, the origional picks were just terrible.

I love hearing first picks for movie roles that went on to become legends. Shirley Temple as Dorothy Gale from Kansas, Joan Crawford making out on the Pearl Harbor beach, etc.. In retrospect, the origional picks were just terrible.

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.........True, but partly because we are so used to seeing over and over again who was cast, that using anyone else is just so odd..............42

OOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHH
Grgranny loves Judy Garland and who else could sing Over the Rainbow like that? As much as I liked Shirley Temple, I just can't see her playing Dorothy Gale.

GrGranny, I agree, but don't you think that if Shirley had been cast, we would be saying the same thing about her??? 42

I don't think so. She didn't do as well as an adult and no way could she ever sing like Judy. She was really good as a child actess and I adored her movies. Also, I think, as a Hollywood or California person she had much better morals than most. Poor Judy was a mess.