November 28, 2008 — Kentucky Derby (G1) and Preakness (G1) winner Funny Cide will become the newest resident of the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington on December 5. He will join another Kentucky Derby winner, Alysheba, who came to the park in October.
Funny Cide (Distorted Humor – Belle’s Good Cide, by Slewacide) was bred by William Casner and Kenny Troutt’s WinStar Farm in a collaborative venture with McMahon Thoroughbreds of Saratoga Springs, N.Y., where he was foaled, raised and then sold as a yearling for $22,000 at the August 2001 Fasig-Tipton NY Bred Preferred Yearlings Sale. He was later purchased privately as a two-year old by Sackatoga Stable for $75,000. For them he went on to earn $3,529,412 and an Eclipse Award as Champion Three-Year-Old Colt, becoming the highest-earning New York-bred in history for trainer Barclay Tagg, under Jose Santos. His nine stakes wins also included the prestigious Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1).
“The 10 owners of Funny Cide are truly honored that the Kentucky Horse Park has invited him to reside in its Hall of Champions,” said Jack Knowlton, managing partner of Sackatoga Stable. “We are pleased that his large fan base will have an opportunity to visit him at this wonderful facility not too far from his greatest triumph.”
Since his retirement as a race horse in 2007, the 8-year-old gelding has been used as Barclay Tagg’s stable pony on the track.
“The rigors of racing and training for several years have started to cause him mild discomfort recently as he continued working on a regular basis as my stable pony. So, now the time has come, as he is turning 9, to really retire,” said Tagg.
“We have been fortunate and very blessed to have had Funny Cide in our lives,” said Robin Smullen, Tagg’s assistant trainer. “He has changed people’s perspective about horse racing. Realistically, he is a once in a lifetime horse and now he will be able to touch other people’s lives in his retirement. We will miss him dearly in our daily schedule.”
Funny Cide has his own website, FunnyCide.com, and a fan club. The public is invited to the Kentucky Horse Park for Funny Cide’s welcome reception on December 5 at 2 p.m. It is included with park admission.
