Can lightning strike the same barn twice?

The Smarty Jones gang is hopeful it will with a talented roan 2-year-old named Rockport Harbor.

The barn calls him Rocky, which makes sense since the stable is at Philadelphia Park.

He's been impressive enough in going 3 for 3 that Bill Foster, the Uniontown native who is foreman for trainer John Servis, may rethink his plans about retiring.

"This horse got me going again," Foster said. "It's hard to retire now."

Rockport Harbor traveled to New York for his most recent victory, a 6 1/2-length score in the Grade 3, $109,500 Nashua Stakes at Aqueduct last Tuesday.

"He beat some nice horses," Foster said. "[Trainer] Shug McGaughey had a nice one in there and there were a couple stakes winners, and he had an easy time of it."

Rockport Harbor, ridden by Smarty's jockey Stewart Elliott, covered the mile in 1 minute, 36³*₅ seconds.

"If he stays sound, he'll be right back in the same ballpark [the road to the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs]," Foster said.

"He's a very, very nice horse, but he's different than Smarty. He doesn't have to work for what he does. He does everything easily, and he's still a little immature, but a good immature. He's not overly excitable.

"I watched the head-on replay [of the Nashua], and Stewart never moved his hands on the horse. The horse did everything on his own. It was like he was galloping around the racetrack."

Owned by Wilmington, Del., car dealer Rick Porter, Rockport Harbor won his debut maiden special race by 8 3/4 lengths Sept. 12 at Philadelphia Park and then won an allowance by a similar margin Oct. 12.

The Nashua was supposed to be his final race this year before heading to Arkansas to train for the Oaklawn Park route Smarty Jones took the Derby. But now, Foster said, Servis is considering a start in either New York's Remsen or the Kentucky Juvenile . The reason: an outside shot that another open-lengths win would put him in contention for the 2-year-old championship.

Porter paid $480,000 at Keeneland for Rockport Harbor, who is by Unbridled's Song out of the Copelan mare Regal Miss Copelan.

Meanwhile, Foster and his companion Shelley Abrams have made up calendars, T-shirts and sweatshirts featuring Smarty Jones. Part of the price of each is being donated to Imagination Land, a playground for handicapped children under construction in Bensalem, Pa. The products can be viewed and ordered at www.smartysgift.com or they can be bought by telephone at 1-888-369-0136.

Price hike

Awesome Again, himself a Breeders' Cup Classic winner in 1998, sired two winners a week ago at the running of the 21st world thoroughbred championships and immediately got himself a pay raise.

After Ghostzapper won the Classic and Wilco took the Juvenile at Lone Star Park, Frank Stronach's Adena Springs announced it was raising Awesome Again's stud fee this season from $75,000 to $125,000.

Awesome Again, at 10 still early in his breeding career, also sired multiple Grade 1 winner Toccet.

Bad ratings

Though horse racing seems to have gained popularity since the release of "Seabiscuit" and the exploits of Funny Cide and Smarty Jones, NBC Sports registered its lowest rating for its telecast of the Breeders' Cup a week ago. The rating for the five-hour show was 1.9 with a four share, a decline of 13.6 percent from last year. Its previous low rating was 2.1 in 2001, when the world championships were held at Belmont Park.

Amy rides again

Jockey Jose Amy resumed riding for the first time in 24 years Oct. 17. He had lost his license in May 1980 for holding back horses in 1974 and '75. The New York State Racing and Wagering Board licensed him after 40 trainers signed a petition on his behalf.