Columnist Ralph Siraco: Joke’s on rest of field as Funny Cide wins Derby

Ralph Siraco

Monday, May 5, 2003 | 10:01 a.m.

Ralph Siraco's horse racing column appears Monday and his Southern California selections run Tuesday-Sunday.

Something Funny happened on the way to Saturday's Kentucky Derby. The favorites, and everybody else who showed up for the 129th renewal of America's most famous horse race, got blind-Cided in Louisville.

When Funny Cide came roaring through the Churchill Downs homestretch to win the Run for the Roses before a crowd of 148,530 -- the fifth-largest in Derby history -- you could almost hear the traditional rendition of "My Old Kentucky Home" being replaced by "New York, New York." Hey, if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere.

The bluebloods of the bluegrass stood in awe as a New York-bred won the coveted Derby for the first time. And, if that wasn't enough, those Kentucky breeders who line up each year to syndicate a Derby winner and sweep him into the breeding shed will have to wait until next year. This year's Derby winner won't be interested in mating. Funny Cide became the first gelding to win the Derby since Clyde Van Dusen in 1929, and only the eighth in Derby history.

This very unorthodox Derby saw the little guys prevail in a sport where many well-heeled owners are buying sub-par runners for millions of dollars, just to get box seats and invitations to the Derby parties. Atswhatimtalknbout, Ten Most Wanted and Domestic Dispute were either entirely or partially sold to new owners who watched a modestly purchased horse run down their Derby dream.

Trainer Bobby Frankel, who won almost everything on the Derby Day undercard, thought at least one of his solid pair of Derby starters would prevail to give him his first Triple Crown victory. After all, Peace Rules beat Funny Cide in the Louisiana Derby earlier this year and his highly regarded morning line favorite, Empire Maker, took the measure of Funny Cide in the Wood Memorial with speed to spare.

In this Derby, however, turnabout was fair play. But for Frankel it became paybacks are a ... well, you know.

Unlike Empire Maker, royally bred and owned by a Saudi Arabian prince, Funny Cide is by a sire who, until Saturday, was known for sprinting, not stamina, and owned by a tiny upstate New York group of high school buddies who pooled their money to buy a few nice horses. Unlike Frankel, a four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer, Barclay Tagg entered his first Derby starter at age 65.

Waning confidence in the Derby favorite became evident on Derby eve when advance wagering closed with Empire Maker at 8-1 odds. Although most of the Derby betting is in the final hour before the race, rumors of a nagging foot bruise and the fact that a favorite hadn't won the Derby but once in 24 years had more than just the public money looking for value in other places.

The "wise-guy" horse of this year's Derby was Illinois Derby winner Ten Most Wanted. Frankel's Peace Rules received solid support at the betting windows as Funny Cide stayed in the 10- and 15-1 range. As the horses approached the starting gate, Empire Maker would take his place as favorite. He closed at 5-2 while Funny Cide settled at 12-1.

After the usual rodeo-like start, Funny Cide settled behind pacesetters Brancusi and Peace Rules. As the field raced under the famed twin spires for the first time on their 1 1/4-mile journey, Jose Santos, riding in his seventh Derby, was sitting in the catbird seat.

When Peace Rules put away Brancusi on the far turn, Funny Cide rolled alongside while the leader's more famous stablemate moved into gear. At the top of the stretch, there was Funny Cide between Peace Rules and Empire Maker. It was time for the son of Distorted Humor to settle the score with the Frankel tandem.

Under heavy urging by Santos, while Jerry Bailey was frantic aboard Empire Maker and Edgar Prado asked for everything from Peace Rules, Funny Cide turned back the dynamic duo and drew clear in the shadow of the finish line to win by almost two open lengths, writing another chapter in Derby history.

Funny Cide paid $27.60 to win and ran the 10th-fastest Kentucky Derby in 2:01:19. Empire Maker edged Peace Rules by a head for second while Atswhatimtalknbout finished fourth.

Barclay Tagg would be the first "rookie" trainer to win the Derby since Cam Gambolotti with Spend A Buck in 1985, and Jose Santos would finally realize the dream of a 12-year-old which took 30 years in the saddle and never-ending faith to complete. It would also be a first for that tiny barn of buddies from Sackets High School, 60 miles from Syracuse, who scrounged up $22,000 to buy a Derby winner that now has earned more than $1 million in purses.

Managing partner Jackson Knowlton put it all in perspective after the Derby victory. "This is for everybody who dreams he can own four or five horses. People can now look at us and see what you can accomplish," he said.

This Derby didn't belong to the Frankels, Lukases or Bafferts. It didn't belong to the Juddmonte Farms, Bob and Beverly Lewises or Hughes, Spielberg and company. And, it didn't belong to the Baileys, Stevens or Days. It belonged to Sackatoga Stables, Tagg and Santos.

That's what the Kentucky Derby is really all about. This Derby-winning cast of players will rekindle the dreams of all the little guys, of all who still believe that the Derby really is for everyone.