Funny Cide - Early Races

Early Races

The chestnut gelding, trained by Tagg and ridden by jockey Jose Santos, 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). Funny Cide won.

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, that 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.