IT is in his hands. And they are the most capable hands in the game today. Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith rides Justify in the Belmont Stakes today. They’re one win away from winning the Triple Crown. Sure, the enormity – or the desperation – might not be as grand as when American Pharoah stopped a 37-year drought in 2015, but the achievement will be the same.

Smith was inducted into thoroughbred racing’s Hall of Fame in 2003. The New Mexico native made it big, venturing from Santa Fe Downs to the bright lights of New York, winning New York jockey titles, Triple Crown races and Breeders’ Cup races with alacrity and poise. Certainly, his induction into the Hall of Fame signaled the back nine of an exhilarating career.