5.3.2003 Photo By: Jeremy Lyverse   Sackatoga Stable's Funny Cide, a New York-bred gelding trained by Barclay Tagg and ridden by Jose Santos, rallied from third to seize the lead from Peace Rules in the upper stretch and held off a rally by the favorite to win the 129th running of the Kentucky Derby (Grade I) by 1 -lengths.

Funny Cide Whips Empire Maker For Empire State
By: John Asher

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (May 3, 2003) - The Kentucky Derby that was supposed to belong to favored Empire Maker instead it belongs to the Empire State.

Sackatoga Stable's Funny Cide, a New York-bred gelding trained by Barclay Tagg and ridden by Jose Santos, rallied from third to seize the lead from Peace Rules in the upper stretch and held off a rally by the favorite to win the 129th running of the Kentucky Derby (Grade I) by 1 -lengths. Empire Maker, the 5-2 favorite in the field of 16 3-year-old Thoroughbreds, finished second and Peace Rules was third. Atswhatimtalknbout rallied to finish fourth.

Funny Cide completed the 1 -mile Kentucky Derby distance in 2:01.19 over a "fast" track, the 10th fastest running of the race that has been renewed at Churchill Downs annually without interruption since 1875. The victory by Funny Cide was the first in Kentucky Derby history for a horse bred in New York and the first by a gelding since Clyde Van Dusen won the race in 1929.

Sackatoga Stable is a New York-based partnership of 10 people headed by Jackson Knowlton of Saratoga Springs, N.Y. Funny Cide is one of just three horses now racing in Sackatoga's colors.

"It's a thrill beyond belief," said Knowlton, "We are the little guys in the game and for me it's just so rewarding that everybody who dreams of owning a horse or owns a horse or two or five horses, can look at what we have accomplished and it's really the horse that's accomplished.

The upset victory by Funny Cide was witnessed by a crowd of 148,530 on a sunny and breezy spring day at the Louisville track. It was the fifth largest attendance figure in Derby history.

Funny Cide paid $27.60 to win as the seventh wagering choice in the field of 16 horses as he turned the tables on the favored Empire Maker, who had defeated him three weeks earlier in the Wood Memorial (GI) at Aqueduct. Some who watched that race felt that Empire Maker had merely toyed with Funny Cide and could have won that race much more easily. But Santos felt Funny Cide had a good chance to reverse that decision on Derby Day at Churchill Downs.

"I think when he finished second behind Empire Maker, Empire Maker was all out," said Santos. "The trainer and the jockey said they did not want to squeeze the lemon but the lemon was pretty dry there. I mean, he's a great horse. This is a very difficult race. Sometimes the best horse doesn't win the race, the Kentucky Derby, but today Funny Cide was the best horse in the race."

"I have a strong feeling about this horse after he ran the Wood because he ran a strong second," said Santos. "He was beat by a strong horse in Empire Maker but he was making a strong effort to catch this horse in the last 16th of a mile. And I say to myself next time the only thing they want to do for this horse is going to be good because he just keep going, keep going and today I was in perfect position in the race. He broke real clean and I have perfect position at the 3/8ths pole."

It was at that point of the race, with three furlongs remaining, that Santos launched the move aboard Funny Cide that made trainer Tagg, a former steeplechase rider, a winner in his first Kentucky Derby. Tagg, 65, became the first rookie trainer to win the Derby since Cam Gambolati saddled Spend A Buck to win the roses in 1985.

"(I'm) very excited of course and very thankful," said Tagg. "So many things go wrong in this game all the time that to have everything go right week after week after week and it finally comes to this well it's just a blessing."

Santos, 42, enjoyed his first Kentucky Derby success in his fifth ride in the spring classic. The victory came just six months after his victory aboard longshot Volponi in the Breeders' Cup Classic (GI) at Arlington Park.

Funny Cide earned the $800,200 winner's share of the Kentucky Derby purse of $1,100,200. He has now earned $1,239,385 in a career in which he has fashioned a record of 4-2-0 in seven races.

The loss by Empire Maker frustrated Hall of Fame trainer Bobby Frankel in his bid to win his elusive first Kentucky Derby. Frankel trained both Empire Maker and Peace Rules, and had said before the race that Empire Maker presented him with his best chance ever to win America's greatest race.

"I still think he (Empire Maker) is a better horse than that other horse (Funny Cide)," said Frankel. "But that doesn't change what happened."

Frankel said that Peace Rules, who is owned by Edmund Gann, would likely go on to the Preakness. He was unsure of where Juddmonte Farm's Empire Maker would run next.

The loss by Empire Maker continued a remarkable run of disappointment for favorites in the Kentucky Derby. Only one favorite, Fusaichi Pegasus, has won the Kentucky Derby since favored Spectacular Bid took the roses in 1979.

Trainer Ron Ellis was happy with the fourth-place effort by B. Wayne Hughes and the Biscuit Stable's Atswhatimtalknbout. The son of A.P. Indy broke poorly and rallied fastest of all in the stretch to finish fourth.

"He ran a good race," said Ellis, who participated in his first Kentucky Derby. "He got stuck down on the inside longer than we wanted and when we got clear it was too late. He gave us a thrill for a little while."

Atswhatimtalknbout was followed across the finish line at Churchill Downs by Eye of the Tiger, Buddy Gil, Outta Here, Ten Cents A Shine, Ten Most Wanted, Domestic Dispute, Scrimshaw, Offlee Wild, Supah Blitz, Indian Express, Lone Star Sky and Brancusi.

The biggest disappointment in the race may have been Ten Most Wanted, who was the 6-1 third choice in Derby wagering but failed to threaten and finished ninth for trainer Wally Dollase.

"I don't understand it," said Dollase. "I can't believe it. I just don't know why he didn't run his race. Pat (rider Pat Day) said he can't believe it either. He said he was in a good spot with him and moving easy, and then there wasn't anything there."

The second leg of the Visa Triple Crown, the Preakness Stakes (GI), will be run at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore on May 17. Regardless of what happens in that race, Knowlton and his partners will be forever remembered in the racing industry in their home state for their trip to Kentucky to claim American racing's greatest prize: a Kentucky Derby victory by Funny Cide.

"It's just an absolute dream come true, nothing that you would ever believe a group like ours could achieve," said Knowlton. "We're just so happy for the whole partnership, for our hometown, Saratoga, and for New York racing, I kidded the governor (Kentucky Gov. Paul Patton), I said you know, it's probably a little bold for us to bring a New York gelding to Kentucky to win the biggest race in the word and we did it and we're glad to be here."

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