Horse Racing: Funny Cide, American Classic races winner
The winner of the 2003 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, Funny Cide was foaled on the 20th of April 2000. The thoroughbred racehorse was sired by Distorted Humor out of Belle’s Good Cide. The gelding is known to be the first thoroughbred to
have been bred in New York and won the Kentucky Derby since 1929. This honour belonged to Clyde Van Dusen before Funny Cide.
The chestnut coloured colt is owned by Saratoga Stable and bred by WinStar Farm. WinStar Farm has the record of breeding many champion racehorses including Super Saver. Trained by Barclay Tagg, the talented racehorse has earned $ 3,529,412 during his athletic
career.
The racehorse started his athletic career as a two year old gelding ridden by jockey Jose Santos. Funny Cide made his debut at Belmont Park on the 8th of September 2002. The colt did not have a hard time winning this six furlong race by fifteen
lengths or more. Funny Cide then went on to contend the seven furlong long stakes race, the Bertram F. Bongard Stakes. In this particular meet, Funny Cide set a record of running at a Beyer Speed Figure of 103. This is recorded to be the fastest speed for
a two year old racehorse. His third career meet that he won was the Sleepy Hollow Stakes that was run at Belmont Park. This was the first race contended by Funny Cide in which he had to struggle to finish in the first spot. Spite the Devil gave Funny Cide
and Santos a tough competition in this event.
By October 2002, Santos started believing that Funny Cide is a Derby thoroughbred. However, at that time the spotlight was on Empire Market and Peace Rules (Robert J. Frankel trained horses ) for being the best Derby horses in the country.
The first race contended by Funny Cide at the age of three was the 1 1/16 miles long Grade II Holy Bull Stakes. The talented racehorse finished this race in the fifth slot. Funny Cide then went on to run in the Grade II Louisiana Derby. His competitors in
this race were strong colts including Peace Rules, Badge of Silver and Kafwain. He managed to conclude this meet in the third place after Peace Rules. The talented thoroughbred then proved his mettle in the Grade I Wood Memorial, which confirmed his entry
into the Kentucky Derby. Although, he finished the aforementioned race in the second place, his Beyer Speed Figure was 110.
Funny Cide made it to the 2003 Kentucky Derby after he finished second in the Wood. He finished the Derby in a time of 2 minutes and 01.19 seconds, which is considered to be the 10th fastest time in the history of Kentucky Derby. The racehorse
gave a spectacular performance in this race, holding off Peace Rules (ridden by Edgar Prado) and winning the race by 1 ¾ lengths.
After his remarkable victory in the Kentucky Derby, Funny Cide was sent out to contend the second jewel of the Triple Crown, the Preakness Stakes, as a heavy favourite. The 2003 edition of the event took place at Baltimore’s Pimlico Race Course. Funny Cide
won the race in a time of 1 minute and 55.61 seconds and by 9 ¾ lengths. This was the second largest margin in Preakness history.
Unfortunately, Funny Cide could not win the third leg of the Triple Crown, the Belmont Stakes. The racehorse finished the race in the third place. However, on the basis of his great performances in the 2003 racing season, Funny Cide was adorned with the
United States Champion Three Year Old Male (2003) Award. Moreover, he was also awarded with the Champion New York Horse of the Year 2003 title along with the NTRA Moment of the Year Award.
Funny Cide’s retirement was announced on the 13th of July 2007. Funny Cide Stakes is the event that is held at Saratoga Race Course in the honour of this great New York bred thoroughbred.
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