Kentucky Derby Winner Funny Cide Dies

[Wandering Eyes]

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Funny Cide (Distorted Humor), the New York-bred gelding, who flirted with the 2003 Triple Crown and was the 3-year-old champion and Horse of the Year, died Sunday from complications of colic.

Owned by Sackatoga Stable formed by Jack Knowlton and based in upstate New York, Funny Cide won the GI Kentucky Derby and the GI Preakness S.. His bid to become the first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978, ended in the GI Belmont S., when he finished third over the sloppy course.

Funny Cide's unlikely rise to the top of the 3-year-old male division and his enthusiastic group of owners, who rode from their hotel to Churchill Downs for the Derby in a yellow school bus, became a national story that transcended racing. He was the first New York-bred and the first gelding since Clyde Van Dusen in 1929 to win the Derby.

Trainer Barclay Tagg purchased Funny Cide privately for Sackatoga as a 2-year-old. He showed promise in New York-bred company and emerged as a Triple Crown series-caliber runner early in his 3-year-old season. He was retired in 2007 with a record of 11-6-8 from 38 starts and purse earnings of $3,529,412.

After being notified of Funny Cide's passing by officials at the Kentucky Horse Park–where he was a featured resident for 15 years–Knowlton drove over to Tagg's barn at Saratoga Race Course for what was a teary conversation to tell Tagg and his assistant Robin Smullen, who was his exercise rider.

“It's sad,” Knowlton said. “Obviously, life-changing for me, personally.”

Tagg has saddled 1,613 winners and developed five millionaires during his 40 years as a trainer. Funny Cide is his leading earner.

“He's one of the best and he just did a lot for us in every way,” Tagg said. “Some horses are great race horses. Some of them are good friends. He just had a lot of charisma with him.”

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