2003 PREAKNESS STAKES

HORSEPHOTOS/NTRA

FUNNY CIDE WINS PREAKNESS HEADS TO BELMONT WITH CHANCE FOR TRIPLE CROWN 

THE PREAKNESS STAKES OFFICIAL RESULTS

MAY 17, 2003

PREAKNESS STAKES

$1,000,000 GRADE I

PIMLICO RACECOURSE, BALTIMORE, MARYLAND

FOR THREE YEAR OLDS

ONE AND THREE-SIXTEENTHS MILES

MAIN TRACK: GOOD

FUNNY CIDE

Winner

128th Preakness Stakes

Jockey: Jose Santos

Trainer: Barclay Tagg

Owners: Sackatoga Stables

Three Year Old Chestnut Gelding - April 20,2000 Bred by Win Star Farm, LLC in NY

Distorted Humor - Belle's Good Cide , by Slewacide

OFFICIAL ORDER OF FINISH

  23.37, 47.14, 1:11.62, 1:36.42, 1:55.61

FUNNY CIDE CONTINUES ON PATH TO TRIPLE CROWN

May 17, 2003

Preakness Stakes

Pimlico Racecourse: Baltimore, Maryland

The two weeks between the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes are usually reserved for the media to bask in the glow of the Derby winner and try to come up with reasons why the also rans did not fire their best races.  The Miami Herald had their own take on this process by deciding to run a Getty Images photo of Derby winner, Funny Cide, crossing the wire with Jose Santos twirling his whip in his hand in celebration.  The photo the Herald decided to run looked somewhat suspicious to the photographer and column writer and what ensued next derailed the Triple Crown for the better part of last weekend.  In examining the photo the photographer and writer thought they had come across a winning jockey concealing something in his hand which may have aided in the winners performance and they thought they had the photo to prove it.  The only problem was that they failed to review some 280 other similar photos and available video which clearly showed that their photo was an optical illusion.  After an exhaustive investigation by the Kentucky Stewards they decided that no infraction had been committed and Jose Santos was exonerated.  But was he really?  The Herald really never made an attempt to apologize and the world wide media that got on the bandwagon never did either.  With this as the backdrop Santos and his New York bred gelding took to the track at "Old Hill Top" to silence the critics and take another step closer to a possible try at the most often unattainable Triple Crown.

After a day of steady rain the Pimlico track crew did an admirable job of getting the racing surface in top condition for the spring classic.  At posttime nine rivals stepped into the gate to take a shot at the Derby winner.  Included in this group was a rare coupled entry of Scrimshaw, trained by D. Wayne Lukas, and Senor Swinger, trained by Bob Baffert, both owned by Bob and Beverly Lewis.  Bobby Frankel sent out Derby third-place finisher, Peace Rules, while his star Empire Maker sat in his stall at Belmont awaiting the winner of this race in the Belmont Stakes.  In all, six new challengers who did not run in the Derby lined up for a shot at a classic victory.  The dream of a classic victory,  however, would be all the nine other starters would have though as Funny Cide would bring his "A" game for the second leg of the sophomore series.

At 6:14 p.m. the Pimlico crowd of 100,268 stood at attention to witness what would become the stuff legends are made of.  The gates sprung open and Peace Rules quickly took command of the race.  Unfortunately for the rest of the field, Funny Cide had cleared the other entrants and immediately tucked in to save ground behind the leaders.  Down the backside Santos "had his feet in the dashboard" trying to restrain the Derby winner from expending too much energy too soon.  As the field made its way into the far turn Midway Road had a made a strong move up the fence looking as if he wanted a piece of the action but as the leaders moved half-way through the turn Funny Cide had drawn alongside leader Peace Rules and still had a full tank of a gas.  Entering the stretch, Funny Cide exploded into the lead and all the sudden the images in his rear view mirror were getting much smaller.  At the wire Jose Santos had guided Funny Cide to victory in The Preakness Stakes reaffirming his victory in the Derby and as Santos stood in the irons he gave the peace sign and then opened his empty hand to all his critics showing them that the winner was just that much better than the rest.  What a fitting way for the race to end and the legend to grow.  A New York bred gelding will now attempt to win the Triple Crown on his home track in front of a city that loves to embrace its heroes.  The sport has not had a Triple Crown winner since 1978 when Affirmed accomplished the feat by beating Alydar.  Stayed tuned because this story will be continued on June 7th at Belmont Park.

For the recap of the race see below.

The field was sent away to a good start except for Funny Cide who brushed with new York Hero, Foufa's Warrior, who broke in the air, and Midway Road who brushed with Ten Cents A Shine. Scrimshaw led the field through the opening quarter mile in 23.37 as Peace Rules tracked a head back in second. Funny Cide cleared the remaining entries and moved in hand three wide of the leaders entering the first. Cherokee's Boy ran another length back in forth position. As the field made it way past the half-mile marker Peace rules took the lead by a length as Funny Cide tracked intently in second while Scrimshaw was starting to drop back in third position. At the three-quarter marker Peace Rules' lead had been cut to a half-length as Funny Cide was in hand moving to the leaders three wide. Midway Road had made a strong move up the fence into third position but as the field moved through the far turn Funny Cide drew up along side Peace Rules and unleashed his rally taking the lead past the quarter pole as he was set down for the drive to the wire. Peace Rules was desperately trying to hold second but was starting to give way to Midway Road and Scrimshaw. In deep stretch Funny Cide opened up a commanding lead with a right handed urging from Santos as Midway Road and Scrimshaw were battling for second and third while Peace Rules evened out in fourth position. At the wire Funny Cide had won the 128th running of The Preakness Stakes covering the one mile and three-sixteenth distance in final time of 1:55.61, nine and three-quarter lengths in front of Midway Road who got up for the place spot as Scrimshaw nosed out Peace Rules for show. Funny Cide is a three-year-old chestnut gelding owned by Sackatoga Stables, trained by Barclay Tagg and was ridden by Jose Santos.