Funny Cide Is Serious About 2004


Funny Cide is back in the stakes hunt as the 2003 Kentucky Derby-Preakness winner goes in the $500,000 Donn Handicap on Feb. 7 at Gulfstream Park.

The 3-year-old Eclipse champion has been working handsomely since his easy five-length triumph in a seven-furlong prep at the South Florida track. He grabbed the lead along the backstretch and edged away under a hand ride by Jose Santos, covering the distance in 1:22 4/5 in an allowance-optional claiming event for 4-year-olds and up.

On Jan. 20, the Distorted Humor gelding breezed four furlongs in 48 4/5 over a fast Palm Meadows Thoroughbred Training Center surface located an hour north of Gulfstream. On Monday, he zipped five furlongs in 59, fastest of 18 workouts.

The Donn field is likely to be small, maybe six horses, but competitive and include Medaglia d'Oro, Puzzlement, Bowman's Band, The Judge Sez Who and Predawn Raid.

Trainer Barclay Tagg is planning on a busy first half of the year for his New York-bred chestnut. The stakes include the New Orleans Handicap, Feb. 2; Oaklawn Handicap, April 3; and the Pimlico Special, May 14.

Funny Cide could become the first Kentucky Derby winner since Foolish Pleasure to capture the Donn. The '75 Run for the Roses champion won in '76 when the purse was only $63,300.

I've be lucky to witness quite a few handicaps since the 1960s. There have been some exciting races like Judgable's nose victory over Snow Sporting in '71 when he returned $63.20 for $2, the third highest payoff.

I also saw Pistols and Roses edge Irish Swap by a head in '93 and pay $91.40 for the second highest return.

The only minus pool ($336.06 for show) was created when Forego nosed out True Knight in '74.

One of the most exciting events occurred when Holy Bull, fresh off '94 Horse of the Year honors, battled Cigar on Feb. 11, 1995. It also was a sad afternoon.

I'll never forget those disheartening words from then announcer Tom Durkin: "Holy Bull stopped! Holy Bull stopped suddenly!"

"I feel like the life has come out of me," Mike Smith said after the race. He heard a pop entering the backstretch - not even halfway of the 1 1/8 miles - and pulled up Holly Bull to avoid further injury.

"You could feel it happening," he explained. "The best way I could put it is, it felt like a flat tire . . . blump, blump, blump."
The copyright of the article Funny Cide Is Serious About 2004 in Horse Racing is owned by Greg Melikov. Permission to republish Funny Cide Is Serious About 2004 in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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