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Funny Cide, winner of the 2003 Preakness with Jose Santos up.
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2003 Preakness Stakes

Date: 05/17/03

Despite a continuation of the wet and cold conditions from Friday and an infield more reminiscent of a swamp, 100,268 people still came out to Pimlico on Saturday for the Preakness Stakes. Funny Cide, coming off his Derby win as the first gelding to win that event since 1929, was sent off as the 4-5 favorite in a field of ten (nine betting interests). Peace Rules, the third place finisher at the Derby, drew plenty of support at the windows and was the favorite in early-bird wagering but closed as the 5-2 second choice.

Scrimshaw went right to the front first time past the stands and ran the first quarter mile in a brisk 23.37 over the track rated "good" but which leaned more toward "muddy". Peace Rules battled with him and wrested the lead on the clubhouse turn, leading the procession through the next fractions of 47.17 and 1:11.62, Funny Cide took a three wide trip most of the way, stalking the pace down the backstretch and settling behind Peace Rules into the far turn. Turning for home, Santos asked Funny Cide for his run and got it. The favorite accelerated to the front two furlongs out, and, by the mile mark of 1:36.42 the race was over. 20-1 longshot Midway Road rallied from seventh and outfinished Scrimshaw for second money by 3/4 length but they were no challenge at all for Funny Cide, who finished 9 3/4 lengths clear in a time of 1:55.61 for the 1 3/16 mile event. Second choice Peace Rules weakened late from his earlier pacesetting effort and finished fourth.

The Preakness

Purse: $1,000,000     Distance: 1 3/16 miles

Pgm  Horse              Jockey            Win   Place  Show
 9   Funny Cide         Santos           5.80    4.60  3.40
 6   Midway Road        Albarado                15.40  9.00
 1   Scrimshaw          Stevens                        4.00

Funny Cide runs away from them by 9 3/4 lengths.
Winning Time: 1:55.61 $2 Exacta 9-6 120.60 $2 Trifecta 9-6-1 684.20 $1 Superfecta 9-6-1-7 792.20 $2 Head2Head 7 vs 9 (9) 3.80
Results chart Race 12
Preakness Entries


First time by with Peace Rules and Scrimshaw out front followed by Funny Cide.


Jose Santos celebrates the win on Funny Cide as they parade on the turf course. He said, "First I want to thank the people who came to the race today to support Funny Cide. Barclay told me to save some ground, then at the 5/8 to give him some loose rein. When I picked the reins up, he just kept going. I started getting busy on him, hit him three or four times, pushed him, switched to the left and he responded even more. Fabulous race."


Funny Cide with his Black-Eyed Susans. Winning trainer Barclay Tagg said, "He's just done everything right. It's been a really smooth last five weeks. I've never had anything but faith in this horse going the distance, but a lot of people questioned it which made me a little hesitant."


The trophy presentation in the winner's circle. Jack Knowlton, managing partner of Sackatoga Stable, owners of Funny Cide, said, "This is just an incredible trip for Sackatoga Stable. We never thought we'd be at the Derby then we win the Derby. Then we win the Preakness. We want the Belmont to be the best race ever. We are just enjoying this so much. We'd like to keep Funny Cide going for a few more years. Barclay has been a class act from day one. Every move that he's made with this horse has been right."


Funny Cide in the post parade prior to the race. When asked about his next start in the Belmont Stakes, Barclay Tagg said: "I think speed will help in the Belmont. He's shown he has stamina and he's shown he has speed. He ought to be ideal for it, it's another quarter mile, but you don't know until you do it."


Second place finisher Midway Road in the post parade. His trainer, Neil Howard, said of sending him to the Belmont, "We want to look at his pedigree and tear it apart. If [Funny Cide] can't go 1 1/2 miles, my horse can't go 1 1/2 miles. He had a good trip but may have been in a little tight. He was forced to take the inside path."


Third place finisher Scrimshaw in the post parade. His trainer, D. Wayne Lukas, said, "The winner certainly earned a shot at the Triple Crown. He ran a great race today and our horses din't. He was the horse to beat and he liked the racetrack."


Fourth place finisher Peace Rules in the post parade. His jockey, Edgar Prado, said, "[Trainer Bobby Frankel] said the horse was good enough to do something at the front of the race. I knew I was in trouble when I saw Funny Cide beside me. He was just running beside me. [Frankel] was disappointed that we didn't finish in the first three. We'll live to fight another day."


The Pimlico weather vane on the cupola in the winner's circle freshly painted with Funny Cide's colors.

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