Funny Cide
Encyclopedia
Funny Cide is a Thoroughbred
race horse who won the Kentucky Derby
and the Preakness Stakes
in 2003. He is the first New York
-bred horse to win the Kentucky Derby
and the first gelding
to win since Clyde Van Dusen
in 1929.
in Versailles, Kentucky
, Funny Cide was foaled at the McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbred Farm, owned by Joe and Anne McMahon in Saratoga Springs, New York
. By Distorted Humor
(a Mr. Prospector
-line sire), he is out of the winning (but short-lived) Belle's Good Cide
by Slewacide, in turn by Seattle Slew
.
Funny Cide was part of one of Distorted Humor's first American
crops when his stud fee was $10,000. (Distorted Humor's fee for 2008 was $300,000 for a live foal.)
Funny Cide was originally purchased in August 2001 at the Fasig-Tipton
Saratoga preferred yearling auction in Saratoga Springs for $22,000 by Tony Everard. With the average price of a yearling running about $43,000, Everard saw the colt as a bargain – a horse he could train at his New Episode Training Center in Ocala, Florida, for a fast financial turnaround. As Everard said, "He was a little bit on the immature side but he had a good frame and a big, deep girth. He was also a ridgling
(one testicle had not descended), and they usually sell cheaper." "Best," said Everard, "to do this early. The undescended testicle hurts them, and they don't learn as they should."
purchased the gelding
for $75,000 in a private transaction in March, 2002 for Sackatoga Stable
.
Once a steeplechase
jockey
, Tagg (who grew up in Abington, Pennsylvania
and won his first race in 1972 at Liberty Bell Park) was a journeyman who had been on the racing scene for over 30 years. The victory by Funny Cide made Tagg the first trainer to win the Derby in his first attempt since Cam Gambolati
saddled Spend A Buck
to win the 1985 Derby.
Ray Paulick of The Blood-Horse
said of Tagg, "He has some characteristics uncannily like hall-of-famer
"Silent" Tom Smith
, the trainer of Seabiscuit. He takes care of his horse, doesn't rush into anything or run him when he shouldn't. I like that about Tagg. Like Tom Smith, he's his own man and will put the horse first. I wish we had more trainers out there like him."
, made his two-year-old racing debut at Belmont Park
on September 8, 2002. Running away from the New York field under a hand ride, he easily won the six-furlong
race by fifteen-plus lengths. Three weeks later, Funny Cide won his first seven-furlong stakes race, the Bertram F. Bongard Stakes
, under another hand ride and by a similar margin. In the Bongard, his Beyer Speed Figure
was 103. No two-year-old in the country had run faster.
His third winning effort as a two-year-old was his first mile race, the Sleepy Hollow Stakes
(also at Belmont Park). Under a hard hold by Santos, he was for the first time challenged for the lead (by Spite the Devil); he proved he could not only be rated (held back in a certain position waiting for the best time and place to make a move), but had enough courage to hold off a challenge. It also proved he could handle longer distances.
By October 2002, Jose Santos believed this horse would be his "Derby horse", although there was more press coverage of Empire Maker
and his stablemate Peace Rules
(both horses trained by Robert J. Frankel).
At three, Funny Cide ran in the 1 1/16-mile Grade III
Holy Bull Stakes
. Breaking from post position 13, he hit the gate and raced wide for the entire trip. He finished fifth in a strong field, which included Offlee Wild
. In the Grade II Louisiana Derby
, he faced Peace Rules
, Kafwain, and Badge of Silver. Staying close to the pace, he rallied in the stretch, dropped back, and then came on again along the rail. Finishing third after Peace Rules, he was moved up to second place after the disqualification of Kafwain. It was his strong second against Empire Maker
(ridden by Jerry Bailey) in the 1 1/8-mile Grade I
Wood Memorial on April 12, however, which secured his place in the Kentucky Derby
. Funny Cide lost the Wood by a short neck and was pressing Empire Maker at the wire, even after New York Hero bore out very wide early, taking the gelding with him and losing him his early momentum. Funny Cide earned a Beyer Speed Figure
of 110 for the Wood.
between the strong double entry of Frankel's Empire Maker (again with Jerry Bailey in the saddle) and Peace Rules, ridden by Edgar Prado. He won by 1¾ lengths over the favorite Empire Maker, paying $27.60 for every dollar bet to win, before a crowd of 148,530.
2:01.19, Funny Cide's time, is the tenth fastest time in Kentucky Derby.
stakes coordinator David Rollinson had to go out and recruit Preakness Stakes
horses when it looked like only six or seven were going to run. All was calm that first week after the Derby. Then, Empire Maker
was officially declared out, leaving only six confirmed starters. Then Midway Road came in. Then all hell broke loose when the Miami Herald's bogus story and photo of Santos cheating in the Derby appeared. Empire Maker suddenly jumped back in, his Triple Crown hopes alive once again. Hours later, when the inferno began to subside, he was back out. Then Peace Rules
officially came in. Sometime, in between all that, Champali scratched after colicking. Then Kissin Saint and Alysweep came in. Then Indian Express came out. Then Rollinson popped a couple of Advil and braced for week two." Week two was like week one, now including the in and outs and ins of New York Hero, Ten Cents A Shine, Foufa's Warrior, and During. As Haskin went on to say, "All this confusion could have been avoided if all involved had known how Funny Cide was going to run in the Preakness."
Shipped in at the last moment by Tagg and stabled in Mary Eppler's barn to keep him calm and out from under the press, this time Funny Cide was the betting favorite. On a cold, wet day in May, he burst from post position nine (only Layminister in 1910 and Canonero II
in 1971 won from the ninth post) and was the runaway winner of the 2003 Preakness Stakes
at Baltimore
's Pimlico Race Course
. His time was 1:55:61 and he took the race by 9¾ lengths, the second-largest margin in Preakness history.
In the Preakness – with Pimlico's sharp turns and on a fast track – Funny Cide earned a Beyer Speed Figure
of 114. He was only the third New York-bred to win the Preakness. The other two were Jacobus in 1883 and Margrave
in 1896 (when the Preakness was run at Gravesend Race Track
in Coney Island (Brooklyn), New York.
ride Funny Cide too close to the rail where the mud was deepest (known as a "dead rail") and fight too hard to rate him. He finished third in the mud behind a fresh Empire Maker
and Ten Most Wanted; both horses had skipped the Preakness Stakes. Frankel declared himself a happy man in the role of spoiler. "It may be mean," he said, "but I'm glad I did it."
Barclay Tagg got a measure of revenge later that year, when Island Fashion won the Alabama Stakes
. Her victory denied a $2 million Triple Tiara
bonus to the owners of Spoken Fur (trained by Frankel).
Immediately after the Belmont, Tagg claimed that Funny Cide had not liked the track; however, Belmont was Funny Cide's home track and he trained over it nearly every day regardless of weather.
In an article published in March 2007, one read: "Looking back, Tagg wonders if Funny Cide's 9¾-length victory in the Preakness and his overly fast workout the week before the Belmont weren't the results of an on-edge horse who had little left for the final leg of the Triple Crown. Tagg was quoted as saying, 'He didn't need to have his adrenaline popping through his head every time a bunch of people came running down the aisle way.'"
Funny Cide won the Eclipse Award
for 3 Year Old Male of the Year, the first New York-bred to do so (Saratoga Dew
was named American Champion Three-Year-Old Filly of 1992).
on July 3, 2004, earning a 110 Beyer Speed Figure
. The finish was a thrilling three-way photo at the wire between runner-up Funny Cide, the winner Offlee Wild
, and The Lady's Groom. Funny Cide defeated Evening Attire
after a stretch duel in the 2004 Excelsior Breeders' Cup Handicap, and was then beaten by him in the Saratoga Breeders' Cup Handicap
. The highlight of his troubled four-year-old season was winning the 1¼-mile, US $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup
at Belmont Park in October against his rival Evening Attire and a promising colt, The Cliff's Edge. In the Gold Cup, he earned a 112 Beyer. Except for Real Quiet
in 1999, for many years no other horse who had won a three-year-old classic had gone on to take another Grade 1 race as an older horse—except Funny Cide.
During Funny Cide's four-year-old season, he was beset with respiratory problems. The race was held at the Santa Anita
track when a major forest fire raged nearby, darkening the air with hot soot. During his five-year-old season he had back problems, undiagnosed until he had raced out of the money in several graded races. Tagg decided to rest Funny Cide for the last half of the season.
and Tampa Bay Derbies
, third in the 2005 Jockey Club Gold Cup
, and later second by a nose Invasor
in the 2006 Whitney Stakes – in a one-mile allowance
race at Gulfstream Park
. The stakes-winning sprinter Sir Greeley took the race in a quick 1:32.42 but Funny Cide's jockey, the top 10 New York Racing Association
rider Edgar Prado said, "He broke sharp and was right with those horses from the go. He never gave up. I was very happy with his race."
On April 1, he again placed in his second Excelsior Breeders' Cup Handicap at Aqueduct
. "He ran a fantastic race", jockey Richard Migliore
said. "Blood and guts all the way to the wire. He's a fantastic racehorse. I wasn't looking for the lead, but my horse was keen and I didn't want to get into a fight with him. When he got alone, he idled better and when company joined him, he fought on again. It was a very game performance."
On April 30, Funny Cide broke his losing streak by taking the Kings Point Handicap
at Aqueduct. Jockey Richard Migliore said, "I'm more tired from trying to pull him up. I thought I was going to have to go around again." Jon Constance of Sackets Six said, "We thought that he didn't have the heart he used to have. But it's not so. He looked around and saw that horse coming up at him — and he was gone." (He had consistently reached the high 90s in the Beyer speed figures and at one time had 11 straight races with at least a 100 Beyer figure.)
On July 1, Funny Cide led all the way to win the Grade III $200,800, 1 1/4-mile Dominion Day Stakes
at Woodbine Racetrack
in Toronto, Canada. The race attracted many who had come just to see Funny Cide; they crowded the walking ring when he entered the paddock and gave him an ovation during the post parade. His 1½-length win over a strong field brought the crowd to its feet. Funny Cide broke from the inside post and held off two challenges (from Cryptograph, who finished third and Nolan's Cat, who finished second) in early fractions of :23.62 for the quarter-mile and :47.14 for the half. Funny Cide was the fifth Derby winner to race at Woodbine, and the first to win there since Secretariat
took the Canadian International in 1973. He was also the first Kentucky Derby winner to win a graded stakes race at the age of six. Funny Cide was also one of only two Kentucky Derby winners in 46 years to race at the age of six. (The other was Gato Del Sol
, the 1982 winner.) Funny Cide ran on May 20, 2006 at Pimlico
racecourse in Baltimore. Funny Cide, foaled in Saratoga Springs, ran twice at the "Spa" – first in the Saratoga Breeders' Cup Handicap
(before 70,175 fans), and in the Woodward Stakes
on September 2, 2006.
On July 4, 2007, lured to Finger Lakes Race Track
by an extra $50,000 added to the purse, Funny Cide came roaring around the far turn to take the $100,000 Wadsworth Memorial Handicap
by three lengths under Alan Garcia, breaking his six-race winless streak. The track (which could accommodate 2,000 patrons in the clubhouse and another 4,000 in the grandstand) had an attendance of well over 12,000 people (its second-largest crowd since 1962) for Funny Cide's appearance. He was the first winner of a Triple Crown
race to run at Finger Lakes in its 46-year history.
, Barclay Tagg and assistant trainer Robin Smullen decided that it was best to retire him on a high note with the victory in the Wadsworth and with the gelding still fit and sound. Jack Knowlton, managing partner for Sackatoga Stable, agreed that Funny Cide's future career would be at the track with Tagg. He became a stable pony in the mornings, accompanying younger horses in their training. "He'll still be doing what he's done the past five years, but he just won't be racing in the afternoon," Knowlton said.
NYRA (the New York Racing Association
) held a "Funny Cide Retirement Party" at Saratoga on August 10, 2007.
Funny Cide is a two-time "New York–bred Horse of the Year". At his retirement, in 38 starts he won 11 races, finished second six times and third eight times; his earnings were $3,529,412. Funny Cide had the highest earnings of any New York
-bred racehorse in history. Saratoga Race Course
has honored him with a stakes race for older New York-breds, the Funny Cide Stakes
.
He was known as "the people's horse" and "the pride of New York".
On December 5, 2008, Funny Cide took up residence at the Kentucky Horse Park
alongside Cigar
, Da Hoss
, the late Alysheba
and other champions. His work as Barclay Tagg's stable pony had begun to give him some discomfort.
In April 2010, the New York Thoroughbred Breeders voted Funny Cide the New York–bred horse of the decade.
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
race horse who won the Kentucky Derby
Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is one and a quarter mile at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry...
and the Preakness Stakes
Preakness Stakes
The Preakness Stakes is an American flat Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held on the third Saturday in May each year at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It is a Grade I race run over a distance of 9.5 furlongs on dirt. Colts and geldings carry 126 pounds ; fillies 121 lb...
in 2003. He is the first New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
-bred horse to win the Kentucky Derby
Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is one and a quarter mile at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry...
and the first gelding
Gelding
A gelding is a castrated horse or other equine such as a donkey or a mule. Castration, and the elimination of hormonally driven behavior associated with a stallion, allows a male horse to be calmer and better-behaved, making the animal quieter, gentler and potentially more suitable as an everyday...
to win since Clyde Van Dusen
Clyde Van Dusen (horse)
Clyde Van Dusen was an American Thoroughbred racehorse and the winner of the 1929 Kentucky Derby.Although he was a son of the noted Man o' War, Clyde Van Dusen had an unimpressive appearance, being described as "a mere pony of a horse with a weedy frame." Owner/breeder Herbert Gardner, an...
in 1929.
Bloodlines
Bred at WinStar FarmWinStar Farm
WinStar Farm is an American Thoroughbred horse breeding and racing farm near Versailles, Kentucky. Formerly known as Prestonwood Farm, it was owned by Houston, Texas oilmen Jack, Art, and J. R...
in Versailles, Kentucky
Versailles, Kentucky
As of the census of 2000, there were 7,511 people, 3,160 households, and 2,110 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 3,330 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 88.18% White, 8.67% African American, 0.15% Native American, 0.35%...
, Funny Cide was foaled at the McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbred Farm, owned by Joe and Anne McMahon in Saratoga Springs, New York
Saratoga Springs, New York
Saratoga Springs, also known as simply Saratoga, is a city in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 26,586 at the 2010 census. The name reflects the presence of mineral springs in the area. While the word "Saratoga" is known to be a corruption of a Native American name, ...
. By Distorted Humor
Distorted Humor
Distorted Humor is an American Thoroughbred racehorse and a successful sire.-Bloodline:Distorted Humor's sire is Forty Niner, 1987's Eclipse Award winning Outstanding Two-Year-Old Male Horse by the champion sire, Mr. Prospector. Distorted Humor's dam was Danzig's Beauty by Danzig. Distorted...
(a Mr. Prospector
Mr. Prospector
Mr. Prospector was a thoroughbred racehorse foaled in Kentucky, whose descendants have been dominant in the United States Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing. He won half of his 14 career races.-Background:...
-line sire), he is out of the winning (but short-lived) Belle's Good Cide
Belle's Good Cide
Belle's Good Cide was an Oklahoma-bred Thoroughbred racing mare. Bred by John Smicklas, she was the chestnut dam of the chestnut stakes winner Funny Cide...
by Slewacide, in turn by Seattle Slew
Seattle Slew
Seattle Slew was an American Thoroughbred race horse who won the United States Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing in 1977, the tenth of eleven horses to accomplish the feat. He remains the only horse to win the Triple Crown while undefeated. In the Blood-Horse magazine List of the Top 100 U.S...
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
crops when his stud fee was $10,000. (Distorted Humor's fee for 2008 was $300,000 for a live foal.)
Funny Cide was originally purchased in August 2001 at the Fasig-Tipton
Fasig-Tipton
The Fasig-Tipton Company, Inc. is an auction house for Thoroughbred horses founded in 1898 by William B. Fasig and Edward A. Tipton. It is the oldest auction company of its kind in North America....
Saratoga preferred yearling auction in Saratoga Springs for $22,000 by Tony Everard. With the average price of a yearling running about $43,000, Everard saw the colt as a bargain – a horse he could train at his New Episode Training Center in Ocala, Florida, for a fast financial turnaround. As Everard said, "He was a little bit on the immature side but he had a good frame and a big, deep girth. He was also a ridgling
Ridgling
A ridgling or rig is a male animal with an undescended testicle. An undescended testicle is not a serious or life-threatening condition, though it may cause the animal discomfort at times...
(one testicle had not descended), and they usually sell cheaper." "Best," said Everard, "to do this early. The undescended testicle hurts them, and they don't learn as they should."
Barclay Tagg
Barclay TaggBarclay Tagg
Barclay Tagg is an American thoroughbred horse trainer. A 1961 graduate of Pennsylvania State University with a degree in Animal Husbandry, he is best known for conditioning Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Jockey Club Gold Cup winner Funny Cide. Horses in Tagg's stable have included Showing Up and...
purchased the gelding
Gelding
A gelding is a castrated horse or other equine such as a donkey or a mule. Castration, and the elimination of hormonally driven behavior associated with a stallion, allows a male horse to be calmer and better-behaved, making the animal quieter, gentler and potentially more suitable as an everyday...
for $75,000 in a private transaction in March, 2002 for Sackatoga Stable
Sackatoga Stable
Sackatoga Stable is an American Thoroughbred horse breeding business in Sackets Harbor, New York.- Funny Cide :Sackatoga Stable LLC was founded by Jack Knowlton and Ed Mitzen in July, 2006. Managing Partner, Knowlton was concentrating on horses bred in New York...
.
Steeplechase (horse racing)
The steeplechase is a form of horse racing and derives its name from early races in which orientation of the course was by reference to a church steeple, jumping fences and ditches and generally traversing the many intervening obstacles in the countryside...
jockey
Jockey
A jockey is an athlete who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing.-Etymology:...
, Tagg (who grew up in Abington, Pennsylvania
Abington Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
Abington Township is a township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 55,310 in as of the 2010 census.Abington Township is one of Montgomery County's oldest communities dating back to before 1700 and being incorporated in 1704. It is home to some of the county's...
and won his first race in 1972 at Liberty Bell Park) was a journeyman who had been on the racing scene for over 30 years. The victory by Funny Cide made Tagg the first trainer to win the Derby in his first attempt since Cam Gambolati
Cam Gambolati
Cam M. Gambolati is an American Thoroughbred racehorse trainer best known for winning the 1985 Kentucky Derby with Spend A Buck....
saddled Spend A Buck
Spend A Buck
Spend A Buck was an American thoroughbred race horse.-Background:Spend A Buck was sired by Buckaroo out of the dam Belle de Jour...
to win the 1985 Derby.
Ray Paulick of The Blood-Horse
The Blood-Horse magazine
The Blood-Horse is an international weekly news magazine about Thoroughbred horses, horse breeding, and horseracing. It was founded in 1916, the oldest continually published North American Thoroughbred magazine. The magazine is based in Lexington, Kentucky, the Horse Capital of the World...
said of Tagg, "He has some characteristics uncannily like hall-of-famer
National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame
The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame was founded in 1950 in Saratoga Springs, New York, to honor the achievements of American thoroughbred race horses, jockeys, and trainers...
"Silent" Tom Smith
Tom Smith (trainer)
Robert Thomas "Tom" Smith was an American thoroughbred race horse trainer. Born in a log cabin in the backwoods of northwest Georgia, as a young man he trained horses for the United States Cavalry and worked on a cattle ranch. In 1934, he was hired as a trainer by the wealthy businessman Charles S...
, the trainer of Seabiscuit. He takes care of his horse, doesn't rush into anything or run him when he shouldn't. I like that about Tagg. Like Tom Smith, he's his own man and will put the horse first. I wish we had more trainers out there like him."
Early races
The chestnut gelding, trained by Tagg and ridden by jockey Jose SantosJosé Santos
Jose Abon Santos is a retired Chilean thoroughbred jockey who has been honored by the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in the United States.-Career:...
, made his two-year-old racing debut at Belmont Park
Belmont Park
Belmont Park is a major thoroughbred horse-racing facility located in Elmont in the Town of Hempstead in Nassau County, New York, on Long Island adjoining New York City. It first opened on May 4, 1905...
on September 8, 2002. Running away from the New York field under a hand ride, he easily won the six-furlong
Furlong
A furlong is a measure of distance in imperial units and U.S. customary units equal to one-eighth of a mile, equivalent to 220 yards, 660 feet, 40 rods, or 10 chains. The exact value of the furlong varies slightly among English-speaking countries....
race by fifteen-plus lengths. Three weeks later, Funny Cide won his first seven-furlong stakes race, the Bertram F. Bongard Stakes
Bertram F. Bongard Stakes
The Bertram F. Bongard Stakes is an ungraded stakes race for Thoroughbred two-year-olds run in the fall at Belmont Park, New York.At a distance of 7 furlongs, it will be in its 32nd running in 2009. The Bongard is a major prep race for up-and-coming young horses and offers a purse of $100,000...
, under another hand ride and by a similar margin. In the Bongard, his Beyer Speed Figure
Beyer Speed Figure
The Beyer Speed Figure is a system for rating the performance of Thoroughbred racehorses in North America designed in the early 1970s by Andrew Beyer, the syndicated horse racing columnist for The Washington Post...
was 103. No two-year-old in the country had run faster.
His third winning effort as a two-year-old was his first mile race, the Sleepy Hollow Stakes
Sleepy Hollow Stakes
The Sleepy Hollow is an American ungraded restricted stakes race for two-year-olds Thoroughbreds held in the fall at Belmont Park, New York. Though not restricted to New York bred horses, this is not an open race: it is considered a race on the New York bred schedule.At a distance of one mile, and...
(also at Belmont Park). Under a hard hold by Santos, he was for the first time challenged for the lead (by Spite the Devil); he proved he could not only be rated (held back in a certain position waiting for the best time and place to make a move), but had enough courage to hold off a challenge. It also proved he could handle longer distances.
By October 2002, Jose Santos believed this horse would be his "Derby horse", although there was more press coverage of Empire Maker
Empire Maker
Empire Maker is an American Thoroughbred racehorse. Owned and bred by Prince Khalid Abdullah's Juddmonte Farms, he was sired by champion Unbridled, winner of the 1990 Kentucky Derby and Breeders' Cup Classic...
and his stablemate Peace Rules
Peace Rules
Peace Rules , is a multiple Grade I winning American Thoroughbred race horse. By Jules Peace Rules (bred and foaled in Florida at Newchance Farm on April 26, 2000), is a multiple Grade I winning American Thoroughbred race horse. By Jules Peace Rules (bred and foaled in Florida at Newchance Farm on...
(both horses trained by Robert J. Frankel).
At three, Funny Cide ran in the 1 1/16-mile Grade III
Graded stakes race
A graded stakes race is a term applied since 1973 by the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association to thoroughbred horse races in the United States and Canada to describe races that derive their name from the stake, or entry fee, owners must pay...
Holy Bull Stakes
Holy Bull Stakes
The Holy Bull Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida. Run in mid April, it is open to three-year-olds over a distance of one mile and three sixteenths...
. Breaking from post position 13, he hit the gate and raced wide for the entire trip. He finished fifth in a strong field, which included Offlee Wild
Offlee Wild
Offlee Wild is an American thoroughbred stallion racehorse. Bred by Dorothy A. Matz, he was sired by Wild Again, out of the mare Alvear, whose sire, Seattle Slew, was a Triple Crown winner and was inducted into National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame.Offlee Wild bears a striking resemblance to...
. In the Grade II Louisiana Derby
Louisiana Derby
The Louisiana Derby is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at the Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans, Louisiana. Usually run in early March, the race is open to horses, age three, willing to race 11/8 miles on the dirt. A Grade II event, it currently offers a purse of...
, he faced Peace Rules
Peace Rules
Peace Rules , is a multiple Grade I winning American Thoroughbred race horse. By Jules Peace Rules (bred and foaled in Florida at Newchance Farm on April 26, 2000), is a multiple Grade I winning American Thoroughbred race horse. By Jules Peace Rules (bred and foaled in Florida at Newchance Farm on...
, Kafwain, and Badge of Silver. Staying close to the pace, he rallied in the stretch, dropped back, and then came on again along the rail. Finishing third after Peace Rules, he was moved up to second place after the disqualification of Kafwain. It was his strong second against Empire Maker
Empire Maker
Empire Maker is an American Thoroughbred racehorse. Owned and bred by Prince Khalid Abdullah's Juddmonte Farms, he was sired by champion Unbridled, winner of the 1990 Kentucky Derby and Breeders' Cup Classic...
(ridden by Jerry Bailey) in the 1 1/8-mile Grade I
Graded stakes race
A graded stakes race is a term applied since 1973 by the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association to thoroughbred horse races in the United States and Canada to describe races that derive their name from the stake, or entry fee, owners must pay...
Wood Memorial on April 12, however, which secured his place in the Kentucky Derby
Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is one and a quarter mile at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry...
. Funny Cide lost the Wood by a short neck and was pressing Empire Maker at the wire, even after New York Hero bore out very wide early, taking the gelding with him and losing him his early momentum. Funny Cide earned a Beyer Speed Figure
Beyer Speed Figure
The Beyer Speed Figure is a system for rating the performance of Thoroughbred racehorses in North America designed in the early 1970s by Andrew Beyer, the syndicated horse racing columnist for The Washington Post...
of 110 for the Wood.
2003 Kentucky Derby
Coming into the Derby after a second in the Wood, Funny Cide won the 2003 Kentucky Derby2003 Kentucky Derby
The 2003 Kentucky Derby was the 129th running of the Kentucky Derby. The race took place on May 3, 2003, and there were 148,530 in attendance.- Payout :The 129th Kentucky Derby Payout Schedule* $2 Exacta: Paid $97.00...
between the strong double entry of Frankel's Empire Maker (again with Jerry Bailey in the saddle) and Peace Rules, ridden by Edgar Prado. He won by 1¾ lengths over the favorite Empire Maker, paying $27.60 for every dollar bet to win, before a crowd of 148,530.
2:01.19, Funny Cide's time, is the tenth fastest time in Kentucky Derby.
2003 Preakness Stakes
Blood-Horse magazine's Steven Haskin wrote: "PimlicoPimlico Race Course
Pimlico Race Course is a horse racetrack in Baltimore, Maryland, most famous for hosting the Preakness Stakes. Its name is derived from the 1660s when English settlers named the area where the facility currently stands in honor of Olde Ben Pimlico's Tavern in London...
stakes coordinator David Rollinson had to go out and recruit Preakness Stakes
Preakness Stakes
The Preakness Stakes is an American flat Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held on the third Saturday in May each year at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It is a Grade I race run over a distance of 9.5 furlongs on dirt. Colts and geldings carry 126 pounds ; fillies 121 lb...
horses when it looked like only six or seven were going to run. All was calm that first week after the Derby. Then, Empire Maker
Empire Maker
Empire Maker is an American Thoroughbred racehorse. Owned and bred by Prince Khalid Abdullah's Juddmonte Farms, he was sired by champion Unbridled, winner of the 1990 Kentucky Derby and Breeders' Cup Classic...
was officially declared out, leaving only six confirmed starters. Then Midway Road came in. Then all hell broke loose when the Miami Herald's bogus story and photo of Santos cheating in the Derby appeared. Empire Maker suddenly jumped back in, his Triple Crown hopes alive once again. Hours later, when the inferno began to subside, he was back out. Then Peace Rules
Peace Rules
Peace Rules , is a multiple Grade I winning American Thoroughbred race horse. By Jules Peace Rules (bred and foaled in Florida at Newchance Farm on April 26, 2000), is a multiple Grade I winning American Thoroughbred race horse. By Jules Peace Rules (bred and foaled in Florida at Newchance Farm on...
officially came in. Sometime, in between all that, Champali scratched after colicking. Then Kissin Saint and Alysweep came in. Then Indian Express came out. Then Rollinson popped a couple of Advil and braced for week two." Week two was like week one, now including the in and outs and ins of New York Hero, Ten Cents A Shine, Foufa's Warrior, and During. As Haskin went on to say, "All this confusion could have been avoided if all involved had known how Funny Cide was going to run in the Preakness."
Shipped in at the last moment by Tagg and stabled in Mary Eppler's barn to keep him calm and out from under the press, this time Funny Cide was the betting favorite. On a cold, wet day in May, he burst from post position nine (only Layminister in 1910 and Canonero II
Canonero II
Canonero II , was a Venezuelan champion thoroughbred race horse.Bred by Edward B. Benjamin in Greensboro, North Carolina, the bay colt was born with a noticeably crooked foreleg, and as such was considered to have no future in racing. He was sold as a yearling for a mere $1,200 at the Keeneland...
in 1971 won from the ninth post) and was the runaway winner of the 2003 Preakness Stakes
2003 Preakness Stakes
The 2003 Preakness Stakes was the 128th running of the Preakness Stakes. The race took place on May 17, 2003, and was televised in the United States on the NBC television network. Funny Cide, who was jockeyed by Jose Santos, won the race. Approximate post time was 6:14 p.m. Eastern Time...
at Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
's Pimlico Race Course
Pimlico Race Course
Pimlico Race Course is a horse racetrack in Baltimore, Maryland, most famous for hosting the Preakness Stakes. Its name is derived from the 1660s when English settlers named the area where the facility currently stands in honor of Olde Ben Pimlico's Tavern in London...
. His time was 1:55:61 and he took the race by 9¾ lengths, the second-largest margin in Preakness history.
In the Preakness – with Pimlico's sharp turns and on a fast track – Funny Cide earned a Beyer Speed Figure
Beyer Speed Figure
The Beyer Speed Figure is a system for rating the performance of Thoroughbred racehorses in North America designed in the early 1970s by Andrew Beyer, the syndicated horse racing columnist for The Washington Post...
of 114. He was only the third New York-bred to win the Preakness. The other two were Jacobus in 1883 and Margrave
Margrave
A margrave or margravine was a medieval hereditary nobleman with military responsibilities in a border province of a kingdom. Border provinces usually had more exposure to military incursions from the outside, compared to interior provinces, and thus a margrave usually had larger and more active...
in 1896 (when the Preakness was run at Gravesend Race Track
Gravesend Race Track
Gravesend Race Track at Gravesend on Coney Island, New York was a Thoroughbred horse racing facility built by the Brooklyn Jockey Club as a result of the backing of the wealthy racing stable owners, the Dwyer Brothers. Philip J...
in Coney Island (Brooklyn), New York.
2003 Belmont Stakes
It rained all day before the Belmont Stakes, the most grueling of the three races and a quarter mile longer than the Kentucky Derby. New Yorkers came to the track in record numbers, only to see Jose SantosJosé Santos
Jose Abon Santos is a retired Chilean thoroughbred jockey who has been honored by the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in the United States.-Career:...
ride Funny Cide too close to the rail where the mud was deepest (known as a "dead rail") and fight too hard to rate him. He finished third in the mud behind a fresh Empire Maker
Empire Maker
Empire Maker is an American Thoroughbred racehorse. Owned and bred by Prince Khalid Abdullah's Juddmonte Farms, he was sired by champion Unbridled, winner of the 1990 Kentucky Derby and Breeders' Cup Classic...
and Ten Most Wanted; both horses had skipped the Preakness Stakes. Frankel declared himself a happy man in the role of spoiler. "It may be mean," he said, "but I'm glad I did it."
Barclay Tagg got a measure of revenge later that year, when Island Fashion won the Alabama Stakes
Alabama Stakes
The Alabama Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race open to three-year-old fillies. Inaugurated in 1872, the Grade I race is run over a distance of one and one-quarter miles on the dirt track at Saratoga Race Course. Held in mid August, it currently offers a purse of $500,000...
. Her victory denied a $2 million Triple Tiara
Triple Tiara of Thoroughbred Racing
The Triple Tiara of Thoroughbred Racing, formerly known as the Filly Triple Crown, is a set of three horse races in the United States which is open to three year old fillies...
bonus to the owners of Spoken Fur (trained by Frankel).
Immediately after the Belmont, Tagg claimed that Funny Cide had not liked the track; however, Belmont was Funny Cide's home track and he trained over it nearly every day regardless of weather.
In an article published in March 2007, one read: "Looking back, Tagg wonders if Funny Cide's 9¾-length victory in the Preakness and his overly fast workout the week before the Belmont weren't the results of an on-edge horse who had little left for the final leg of the Triple Crown. Tagg was quoted as saying, 'He didn't need to have his adrenaline popping through his head every time a bunch of people came running down the aisle way.'"
Funny Cide won the Eclipse Award
Eclipse Award
The Eclipse Award is an American thoroughbred horse racing award named after the 18th century British racehorse and sire, Eclipse. The Eclipse Awards, honoring the champions of the sport, are sponsored by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association , Daily Racing Form and the National Turf Writers...
for 3 Year Old Male of the Year, the first New York-bred to do so (Saratoga Dew
Saratoga Dew
Saratoga Dew is an American Thoroughbred Champion racehorse. Bred by Penny Chenery , owner of the great Secretariat, and raced by Charles F...
was named American Champion Three-Year-Old Filly of 1992).
Troubled years
At four, Funny Cide displayed flashes of his old form in the Massachusetts HandicapMassachusetts Handicap
The Massachusetts Handicap, frequently referred to as the "MassCap", is an American flat Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds and up held annually at Suffolk Downs in Boston, Massachusetts. It is currently an Ungraded stakes race run over a distance of 9 furlongs on dirt. The race received...
on July 3, 2004, earning a 110 Beyer Speed Figure
Beyer Speed Figure
The Beyer Speed Figure is a system for rating the performance of Thoroughbred racehorses in North America designed in the early 1970s by Andrew Beyer, the syndicated horse racing columnist for The Washington Post...
. The finish was a thrilling three-way photo at the wire between runner-up Funny Cide, the winner Offlee Wild
Offlee Wild
Offlee Wild is an American thoroughbred stallion racehorse. Bred by Dorothy A. Matz, he was sired by Wild Again, out of the mare Alvear, whose sire, Seattle Slew, was a Triple Crown winner and was inducted into National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame.Offlee Wild bears a striking resemblance to...
, and The Lady's Groom. Funny Cide defeated Evening Attire
Evening Attire (horse)
Evening Attire is a Kentucky bred Thoroughbred racehorse, foaled on February 14, 1998, though most of his racing career has taken place in New York.-A little history, early and late:Bred by Joseph M. Grant and Hall of Famer Thomas J...
after a stretch duel in the 2004 Excelsior Breeders' Cup Handicap, and was then beaten by him in the Saratoga Breeders' Cup Handicap
Saratoga Breeders' Cup Handicap
The Saratoga Breeders’ Cup Handicap was, until it was discontinued in 2005, a Thoroughbred race for horses three-years-old and up run at Saratoga Race Course...
. The highlight of his troubled four-year-old season was winning the 1¼-mile, US $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup
Jockey Club Gold Cup
The Jockey Club Gold Cup, established in 1919, is a prestigious thoroughbred flat race open to horses of either gender three-years-old and up. It is typically the main event of the fall meeting at Belmont Park, just as the Belmont Stakes is of the spring meeting and the Travers Stakes is of the...
at Belmont Park in October against his rival Evening Attire and a promising colt, The Cliff's Edge. In the Gold Cup, he earned a 112 Beyer. Except for Real Quiet
Real Quiet
Real Quiet was an American Champion Thoroughbred racehorse. He was nicknamed "The Fish" by his trainer, due to his narrow frame....
in 1999, for many years no other horse who had won a three-year-old classic had gone on to take another Grade 1 race as an older horse—except Funny Cide.
During Funny Cide's four-year-old season, he was beset with respiratory problems. The race was held at the Santa Anita
Santa Anita Park
Santa Anita Park is a thoroughbred racetrack in Arcadia, California, United States. It offers some of the prominent racing events in the United States during the winter and in spring. With its backdrop of the purple San Gabriel Mountains, it is considered by many as the world's most beautiful race...
track when a major forest fire raged nearby, darkening the air with hot soot. During his five-year-old season he had back problems, undiagnosed until he had raced out of the money in several graded races. Tagg decided to rest Funny Cide for the last half of the season.
Comeback
On February 2, 2006, Funny Cide finished ahead of odds-on favorite Sun King – winner of the PennsylvaniaPennsylvania Derby
The Pennsylvania Derby is a race for thoroughbred horses run at Parx Racing and Casino each year. The track's premiere event is open to horses, age three, willing to race on the dirt and as of 2007, offers a purse of $1 million...
and Tampa Bay Derbies
Tampa Bay Derby
The Tampa Bay Derby is an American Thoroughbred horse race held in mid March at Tampa Bay Downs. A Grade III event since 2002, it is open to three-year-olds willing to race one and one-sixteenth miles on the dirt. The race has gained in popularity over the past few years and is now listed as an...
, third in the 2005 Jockey Club Gold Cup
Jockey Club Gold Cup
The Jockey Club Gold Cup, established in 1919, is a prestigious thoroughbred flat race open to horses of either gender three-years-old and up. It is typically the main event of the fall meeting at Belmont Park, just as the Belmont Stakes is of the spring meeting and the Travers Stakes is of the...
, and later second by a nose Invasor
Invasor (horse)
Invasor is a Thoroughbred racehorse bred in Argentina by Haras Clausan. The winner of the 2005 Triple Crown in Uruguay, he was later purchased by Sheik Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum who paid approximately USD 1.4 million for the horse...
in the 2006 Whitney Stakes – in a one-mile allowance
Thoroughbred horse race
Thoroughbred horse racing is a worldwide sport and industry involving the racing of Thoroughbred horses. It is governed by different national bodies. There are two forms of the sport: Flat racing and National Hunt racing...
race at Gulfstream Park
Gulfstream Park
Gulfstream Park Racing & Casino is a racetrack and county-approved racino in Hallandale Beach, Florida, in the United States. During its annual meet, which spans December through April, it is one of the most important venues for horse racing in America....
. The stakes-winning sprinter Sir Greeley took the race in a quick 1:32.42 but Funny Cide's jockey, the top 10 New York Racing Association
New York Racing Association
The New York Racing Association, Inc. is the not-for-profit corporation that operates the three largest thoroughbred horse-racing tracks in the state of New York. It runs Aqueduct Racetrack in South Ozone Park, Queens, Belmont Park in Elmont, Long Island , and Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga...
rider Edgar Prado said, "He broke sharp and was right with those horses from the go. He never gave up. I was very happy with his race."
On April 1, he again placed in his second Excelsior Breeders' Cup Handicap at Aqueduct
Aqueduct Racetrack
Aqueduct Racetrack is a thoroughbred horse-racing facility and racino in Ozone Park, Queens, New York. Its racing meets usually are from late October/early November through April.-History:...
. "He ran a fantastic race", jockey Richard Migliore
Richard Migliore (jockey)
Richard Migliore is a retired American jockey whose mounts have ranged from Fourstardave to Wando to Funny Cide to Kip Deville to Hidden Lake to Desert Code....
said. "Blood and guts all the way to the wire. He's a fantastic racehorse. I wasn't looking for the lead, but my horse was keen and I didn't want to get into a fight with him. When he got alone, he idled better and when company joined him, he fought on again. It was a very game performance."
On April 30, Funny Cide broke his losing streak by taking the Kings Point Handicap
Kings Point Handicap
The Kings Point Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually during the latter part of March at Aqueduct Racetrack in Jamaica, New York...
at Aqueduct. Jockey Richard Migliore said, "I'm more tired from trying to pull him up. I thought I was going to have to go around again." Jon Constance of Sackets Six said, "We thought that he didn't have the heart he used to have. But it's not so. He looked around and saw that horse coming up at him — and he was gone." (He had consistently reached the high 90s in the Beyer speed figures and at one time had 11 straight races with at least a 100 Beyer figure.)
Dominion Day Stakes
The Dominion Day Stakes is a Canadian Thoroughbred horse race run annually in July at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario. A Grade III event offering a purse of $200,000, it is open to horses aged three years and up. The race was run at a distance of 1⅛ miles from its inception until 1983 when...
at Woodbine Racetrack
Woodbine Racetrack
Woodbine Racetrack is a Canadian racetrack for Thoroughbred horse races located at 555 Rexdale Blvd. in the city of Toronto, Ontario. It is the only horseracing track in North America which stages, or is capable of staging, thoroughbred and standardbred horseracing programs on the same day...
in Toronto, Canada. The race attracted many who had come just to see Funny Cide; they crowded the walking ring when he entered the paddock and gave him an ovation during the post parade. His 1½-length win over a strong field brought the crowd to its feet. Funny Cide broke from the inside post and held off two challenges (from Cryptograph, who finished third and Nolan's Cat, who finished second) in early fractions of :23.62 for the quarter-mile and :47.14 for the half. Funny Cide was the fifth Derby winner to race at Woodbine, and the first to win there since Secretariat
Secretariat (horse)
Secretariat was an American Thoroughbred racehorse, that in 1973 became the first U.S. Triple Crown champion in 25 years, setting new race records in two of the three events in the Series—the Kentucky Derby , and the Belmont Stakes —records that still stand today.Secretariat was sired by Bold...
took the Canadian International in 1973. He was also the first Kentucky Derby winner to win a graded stakes race at the age of six. Funny Cide was also one of only two Kentucky Derby winners in 46 years to race at the age of six. (The other was Gato Del Sol
Gato Del Sol
Gato Del Sol was an American Thoroughbred racehorse. He was foaled at Stone Farm in Paris, Kentucky, the son of U.S...
, the 1982 winner.) Funny Cide ran on May 20, 2006 at Pimlico
Pimlico
Pimlico is a small area of central London in the City of Westminster. Like Belgravia, to which it was built as a southern extension, Pimlico is known for its grand garden squares and impressive Regency architecture....
racecourse in Baltimore. Funny Cide, foaled in Saratoga Springs, ran twice at the "Spa" – first in the Saratoga Breeders' Cup Handicap
Saratoga Breeders' Cup Handicap
The Saratoga Breeders’ Cup Handicap was, until it was discontinued in 2005, a Thoroughbred race for horses three-years-old and up run at Saratoga Race Course...
(before 70,175 fans), and in the Woodward Stakes
Woodward Stakes
The Woodward Stakes is an American Grade I stakes race and is one of the premier races for older thoroughbred horses in the United States. Named for prominent racehorse owner, George Nicholas Woodward, it is run at 1⅛ miles on the dirt for a purse of $750,000.The Woodward was run as a handicap in...
on September 2, 2006.
On July 4, 2007, lured to Finger Lakes Race Track
Finger Lakes Gaming and Race Track
Finger Lakes Gaming and Race Track is a thoroughbred horse-racing track and racino located in Farmington in western New York State, approximately 25 miles southeast of Rochester. The facility is about one mile south of New York State Thruway exit 44....
by an extra $50,000 added to the purse, Funny Cide came roaring around the far turn to take the $100,000 Wadsworth Memorial Handicap
Wadsworth Memorial Handicap
The Wadsworth Memorial Handicap is a Thoroughbred race for three year olds and up of either gender set at a distance of one and one eighth miles on the dirt...
by three lengths under Alan Garcia, breaking his six-race winless streak. The track (which could accommodate 2,000 patrons in the clubhouse and another 4,000 in the grandstand) had an attendance of well over 12,000 people (its second-largest crowd since 1962) for Funny Cide's appearance. He was the first winner of a Triple Crown
United States Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing
In the United States, the "Triple Crown" is usually the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, a series of three Thoroughbred horse races for three-year-old horses run in May and early June of each year consisting of the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes.While Daily Racing Form...
race to run at Finger Lakes in its 46-year history.
Retirement
On July 13, 2007, Funny Cide's retirement was announced. The partnership of Sackatoga StableSackatoga Stable
Sackatoga Stable is an American Thoroughbred horse breeding business in Sackets Harbor, New York.- Funny Cide :Sackatoga Stable LLC was founded by Jack Knowlton and Ed Mitzen in July, 2006. Managing Partner, Knowlton was concentrating on horses bred in New York...
, Barclay Tagg and assistant trainer Robin Smullen decided that it was best to retire him on a high note with the victory in the Wadsworth and with the gelding still fit and sound. Jack Knowlton, managing partner for Sackatoga Stable, agreed that Funny Cide's future career would be at the track with Tagg. He became a stable pony in the mornings, accompanying younger horses in their training. "He'll still be doing what he's done the past five years, but he just won't be racing in the afternoon," Knowlton said.
NYRA (the New York Racing Association
New York Racing Association
The New York Racing Association, Inc. is the not-for-profit corporation that operates the three largest thoroughbred horse-racing tracks in the state of New York. It runs Aqueduct Racetrack in South Ozone Park, Queens, Belmont Park in Elmont, Long Island , and Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga...
) held a "Funny Cide Retirement Party" at Saratoga on August 10, 2007.
Funny Cide is a two-time "New York–bred Horse of the Year". At his retirement, in 38 starts he won 11 races, finished second six times and third eight times; his earnings were $3,529,412. Funny Cide had the highest earnings of any New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
-bred racehorse in history. Saratoga Race Course
Saratoga Race Course
Saratoga Race Course is a Thoroughbred horse racing track in Saratoga Springs, New York, United States. It opened on August 3, 1863, and is the oldest organized sporting venue of any kind in the United States. It is typically open for racing from late July through early September.-History:John...
has honored him with a stakes race for older New York-breds, the Funny Cide Stakes
Funny Cide Stakes
The Funny Cide Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race for horses three-years-old and up bred in New York, approved by the New York State-Bred Registry, and run at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York...
.
He was known as "the people's horse" and "the pride of New York".
On December 5, 2008, Funny Cide took up residence at the Kentucky Horse Park
Kentucky Horse Park
Kentucky Horse Park is a working horse farm and an educational theme park opened in 1978 in Lexington, Kentucky. It is located off Kentucky State Highway 1973 and Interstate 75 in northern Fayette County in the United States...
alongside Cigar
Cigar (horse)
Cigar , is a retired American Thoroughbred racehorse, who in 1995 and 1996 became the first American racehorse racing against top-class competition to win 16 consecutive races since the Triple Crown winner, Citation did so in 1948 and 1950...
, Da Hoss
Da Hoss
Da Hoss by Gone West out of Jolly Saint is a bay Thoroughbred gelding best known for twice winning the Breeders' Cup Mile. He was bred in Kentucky by Fares Farms and originally owned by Prestonwood Farm as well as Wallstreet Racing Stables.Bought for only $6,000 as a yearling at the Keeneland...
, the late Alysheba
Alysheba
Alysheba was an American Thoroughbred race horse who won two legs of the Triple Crown in 1987. A successful sire, he produced 11 stakes winners....
and other champions. His work as Barclay Tagg's stable pony had begun to give him some discomfort.
In April 2010, the New York Thoroughbred Breeders voted Funny Cide the New York–bred horse of the decade.
Pedigree
Further reading
- Jenkins, Sally, Funny Cide: How a Horse, a Trainer, a Jockey, and a Bunch of High School Buddies Took on the Sheiks and Bluebloods... and Won. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2004. ISBN 0-399-15179-6
External links
- Funny Cide's official website
- Funny Cide's pedigree
- Funny Cide, Three-year-old Male of the Year
- Funny's distaff line
- Distorted Humor - stallion register
- Tagg's website
- NTRA bio of Tagg
- NTRA bio of Jose Santos
- Funny Cide Kentucky Derby page
- Funny celebrates Canada Day
- Funny heads the New York bred Millionaire's Club
- BloodHorse July 13, 2007 Kentucky Derby, Preakness Winner Funny Cide Retired at Age 7
- Sports Illustrated July 14, 2007 'An unbelievable trip' 2003 Derby, Preakness Winner Funny Cide Retired