ELMONT, N.Y. - It took a horse even smaller than Smarty Jones to foil his Triple Crown bid, as 36-1 long shot Birdstone overhauled the 1-5 favorite in deep stretch in the Belmont Stakes on Saturday and extended the 26-year streak of futility in the three-race series at least another year.

“He’s small, but he has an awful big heart,” trainer Nick Zito, 56, said of the horse known around his barn as “Little Man” for his ponylike stature.

Birdstone had to have heart to run down Smarty Jones, who opened a 3 1/2-length lead at the top of the stretch, bringing the record Belmont Stakes crowd of 120,139 to their feet cheering for the heaviest favorite in the race since Spectacular Bid in 1979.

But Stewart Elliott, Smarty’s jockey, said he knew he was in trouble when he peeked back and saw Birdstone and Edgar Prado bearing down on him.

“My horse was running, but then when I looked and saw Birdstone coming, I thought ‘Uh-oh, we might be in trouble,’ ” he said.

Smarty Jones became the 48^th horse and third straight to win two of the three Triple Crown races but fail to join the 11 who have achieved the sweep.

His loss with the Triple on the line was the biggest surprise since 1979, when Spectacular Bid appeared to be a lock to win but finished third behind Coastal and Golden Act at odds of 3-10. Spectacular Bid moved too soon when jockey Ronnie Franklin got caught up in a speed duel with 85-1 long shot Gallant Best.

Smarty’s reputation as one of the strongest Triple Crown candidates in years worked against him, as both Rock Hard Ten and Eddington pressured him in the early stages of the 1 1/2-mile marathon, the longest of the three Triple Crown races.

“We thought the only way we could beat Smarty Jones was to bring the race at him,” said Mark Hennig, trainer of Eddington, who finished fourth, a dozen lengths behind the winner.

The tactic worked, though not for those who employed it. Smarty Jones withstood challenges from Eddington and Rock Hard Ten after he stuck his nose in front halfway up the backstretch, then he put them away turning for home.

But there was no rest to be had in the last quarter mile to glory.

Birdstone, who was relaxed early and then guided outside by Prado while running fourth on the backstretch, was making a closing move in the center of the track that soon put Smarty in his sights.

With a sixteenth of a mile to run, he pulled even with the favorite and slowly pulled away to a 1-length victory. Royal Assault, the second Zito-trained colt in the race, finished third, eight lengths behind Smarty Jones. The running time was 2:27.50, more than 3 seconds off the world and stakes record of 2:24 set by Secretariat in 1973.

“I wasn’t feeling good down the backside. He wasn’t settling like he had,” trainer John Servis said. “The one thing I was worried about was him being too sharp, and I just couldn’t get him settled.”

Losing hurt, he said, “but we had a really good run.”

“We’re not going to put our head down. We’re proud,” he said.

The rest of the finishers, in order: Eddington, Rock Hard Ten, Tap Dancer, Master David, Caiman and Purge.

Birdstone returned $74, $14 and $8.60. Smarty Jones, the 3½-10 favorite, paid $3.30 and $2.60. Royal Assault was $6.10 to show.

Though the winning connections – Zito, Prado and owners John Hendrickson and Marylou Whitney, a husband-wife team who race as Marylou Whitney Stables – all said they were delighted to win, they also expressed disappointment that Smarty Jones hadn’t given racing its first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978.

“I’m happy, but I’m sad,” said Prado, 37, who also thwarted War Emblem’s Triple Crown bid in 2002 with a Belmont victory aboard 70-1 long shot Sarava.

Elliott said Prado called over to him as they galloped out after the race. “He said he was sorry. I said, ‘What are you going to do? That’s horse racing.’ ”

Zito, a native New Yorker who was 0-for-11 in the Belmont Stakes with five second-place finishes entering the race, said of the long-awaited victory, “This is sweet.”

But he said he told Servis he was sorry to be the one to deny Smarty Jones’ the 12^th Triple Crown in racing history when his rival came over and congratulated him right after the race. 

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I wanted Smarty Jones to win,” Whitney said. “We love Smarty Jones and think he has done more for the racing community, and I think it gives everyone a chance to think ‘This can happen to me.”’

With his fourth victory in seven starts, Birdstone earned $600,000 to boost his bankroll to $975,600. Smarty Jones’ owners Roy and Pat Chapman failed to collect a $5 million Triple Crown bonus, but still came away with $200,000.

Smarty Jones remains fourth among leading money-earners in North America with $7,613,155.

Free video Disconsolate owners June 5: Pat Chapman, co-owner of Smarty Jones, congratulates Birdstone's connections and apologizes to the fans for Smarty's upset loss. NBC Sports

“Being second in the Belmont ain’t all bad,” Pat Chapman said. “The better horse won today. I am glad it’s over.”

Birdstone, who began the year as one of the top 3-year-olds off his victory in the prestigious Champagne Stakes at Belmont Park as a 2-year-old, had suffered through a miserable year before his upset victory.

He finished a well-beaten fifth in the Lane’s End Stakes at Turfway Park on March 20 and followed that with an eighth-place finish in the Kentucky Derby, when he was steadied and shuffled back in the early going.

Zito said before the Belmont that Birdstone’s travails were largely due to either a temporary or permanent delay of the growth you would usually expect to see in a 2-year-old over the winter.

“Sometimes horses don’t go from 2 to 3 like they should,” he said. “… That’s why we call him Little Man. He’s never grown an inch. He is what he is. He’s got a great way of going, he’s a great athlete … but he’s probably going on heart.”

Whatever was fueling Birdstone’s relentless stretch run, it was enough to get him past another horse who has shown a lot of heart in his races: Smarty Jones.

Zito, who expressed nothing but admiration for Smarty in the week before the Belmont, said he expects that the beaten favorite will return from the rigors of his Triple Crown campaign in good shape, ready to do battle with Birdstone, the other 3-year-olds in the division and older horses again in the fall.

“I have a feeling … he’ll be back,” he said.

About 90 minutes before the race, it was announced to the crowd that President Reagan had died. His picture was flashed on the jumbo screen next to the tote board, the infield flag was lowered to half-staff and there was a moment of silence.

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