The driver is making his return after a month off to be by the side of his ailing father.

by Jay Wolf

Jeremy Smith is back.

After a deeply personal 29-day hiatus to care for his seriously ill father, Sheridan, Jeremy’s comeback this Saturday (June 7) at MGM Northfield Park for the $200,000 Battle of Lake Erie (G2) marks a compelling return to the sulky, piloting Little Rocket Man, the horse that gave him his greatest win in this very race last year.

“My dad had an aneurysm in his liver,” said Jeremy, 45. “I know the timing was bad, but I had to [step away]. Not only is he my dad, but he is my best friend.

“He was in bad shape. We didn’t think he was going to make it.

“I have one other addiction, other than the horses, and that is muscle cars. I’ve built a lot of them and my dad has always been right there with me.”

Jeremy is proud to report that his father has improved, was allowed to come home and “seems to be doing well.”

That gave Jeremy the chance to come back a little earlier than expected to drive the defending Battle of Lake Erie champion.

Last year, Jeremy and Little Rocket Man used a four-wide move around the final Northfield Park turn and posted a half-length victory to score a 20-1 upset.

“What a horse,” Jeremy said. “He’s the best horse I have ever driven. I never count him out. I often say he is an ‘extra 10 percenter’ because he always gives you that extra effort.”

The 9-year-old Rockin Image—GT Miss Royal gelding has 72 wins in 124 career starts and has earned nearly $1.8 million.

“He just loves to win and he does it with swagger,” Jeremy said.

Little Rocket Man is owned by Russell Beeman and Jack Freeman and is trained by Ken Rucker.

The defending champs have to overcome the outside post 8 (15-1 morning line) in this year’s event.

Jeremy knows all about surviving setbacks. He was involved in a pair of racing accidents last summer, the first on June 15, where he was “stoved up pretty good.” He was involved in a much more serious pile-up on Aug. 7.

The second accident resulted in a brain bleed, a concussion, a fractured vertebra and three fractured ribs. Sometime later it was discovered that Jeremy had also fractured his fibula.

“I had to wear a brace from my ankle to about half-way up my thigh,” he said. “When they took the brace off, I could barely walk, so I had to do more physical therapy.”

Despite missing nearly a month this year, Jeremy remains eighth among reinsmen in North America in purse earnings ($2,496,702) and 11^th in wins (162).

“I will be honest, I was floored when I heard that,” Jeremy said. “That’s crazy.

“I look forward to driving regularly at Scioto Downs. I want to talk to all of my trainers and give them enough notice. If I only have five drives, that’s fine. I have been there before.”

The 39^th edition of the Battle of Lake Erie headlines a 16-race, stakes filled card. The undercard features the $75,000 MGM Buckeye Distaff, featuring Ohio-bred mare pacers, and eight divisions of the second leg of the Ohio Sires Stakes (OHSS). Each OHSS division will go for $65,000.

In the Distaff, Jeremy picked up the drive behind No Foolin April, which just happens to be the last winner he drove (May 9) before his break.

“It was a cold night and she went a big mile [1:50],” Jeremy said. “She will have to step up her game Saturday, but she can rocket off the gate, so she has that going for her.

“This absence has lit the fire in me again. I am very hungry. I am starving. I am ready.”

$200,000 BATTLE OF LAKE ERIE (GRADE 2)

Post — Horse — Driver — Trainer — Odds

1. Dunkin — Kurt Sugg — Scott Di Domenico — 10-1

2. Seven Colors — Aaron Merriman — Andrew Harris — 12-1

3. Ken Hanover — Brett Miller — Roland Mallar — 6-1

4. Desperate Man — Matt Kakaley — Travis Alexander — 3-1

5. Mossdale Ben N — Jordan Stratton — Peter Tritton — 4-1

6. Bythemissal — Chris Page — Ron Burke — 5-2

7. Chase H Hanover — Chris Lems — Cory Stratton — 20-1

8. Little Rocket Man — Jeremy Smith — Ken Rucker — 15-1

9. Helium N — Dan Noble — Christi Noble — 8-1