Every year there is a horse that fans latch onto during the Triple Crown season. In 2004 it was Smarty Jones, 2005: Afleet Alex, 2006: Barbaro, 2007: Hard Spun, Street Sense, Rags to Riches and Curlin, 2008: Big Brown and last year: Mine That Bird, Summer Bird and Rachel Alexandra. However before those lovely guys and girls, there was one horse who started this trend of fan favorites. He wasn't the most heralded member of his class, but he showed that no matter where your life begins, you can accomplish great things.
This is the story of how Funny Cide indirectly, changed my life forever. I had always been a fan of horses when I was growing up. I had done a little bit of riding as part of a therapy program I was part of in preschool, however other then that I've never been around horses. Flash forward to 2003, I was a sophomore in high school when I heard about a horse who was born in New York running in the Kentucky Derby. I found out that he was owned by a group of friends from upstate New York, and all they owned was New York breds. Being a native New Yorker, I was intrigued by him for that reason. While I missed watching the Derby that year, I had heard that Funny Cide won and got excited. Despite not living in New York, I still felt connected to the state, and had family still living there. Especially after what had happened there a year and half before with 9/11. I decided that I wanted to learn more about Funny, and thankfully after the Triple Crown, a book came out. By Washington Post writer Sally Jenkins, it's called Funny Cide: How a Horse, a Trainer, a Jockey and a Bunch of High School Buddies took on a the Sheiks and Bluebloods... and Won. After I read that book, I was hooked onto horse racing. While over the years horses came and gone, the one consistent was Funny Cide.
My one of my all time favorite races of his is the 2004 Jockey Club Gold Cup. Going into the final turn, Funny looked like they where heading for another loss (he was coming off a loss at Saratoga to another fan favorite Evening Attire), but Jose Santos made sure that it didn't happen. When The Cliff's Edge made his move for the lead, Funny Cide went with him. A stubborn Newfoundland gave him a bit of a fit, but he was able to shake loose and show why he was called the Gutsy Gelding. One of my favorite Tom Durkin quotes is said just as Funny was about to hit the wire: “The Gutsy Gelding indeed!” In this Here is that 2004 JCGC win:
It's somewhat fitting that a horse from humbled beginnings ended his career at Finger Lakes in a small stake. So it wasn't a regal track like Belmont or Churchill Downs, but the reported attendance that day showed that he was still very popular. It's also somewhat fitting that he started his career with a win, and ended it with a win. Since his retirement, I've had some favorites: Hard Spun, Showing Up and Kip Deville the three biggest names. However Funny Cide will always be #1 in my heart. One of these days I'll get down to Kentucky Horse Park and see him.
Funny Cide was a wonderful horse, with a wonderful story. Thank you for sharing your connection to him, Rachel.
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