Is Funny Cide on an historic run or what? He just might be the next "people's horse."

Here we have the first New York bred and first gelding in seventy-four years to win the Kentucky Derby, as a 12-1 shot we might add.

Then we have this son of Distorted Humor, out of Belle's Good Cide, win the Preakness as the first New York bred in 107 years and the first gelding since Prairie Bayou ten years ago.

All he needs is the Belmont Stakes on June 7th, and we'll have the first Triple Crown winner in twenty-five years. And get this, Funny Cide is unbeaten on this very track in three races.

If he wins, he'll also be the first gelding to win the Triple Crown.

The win at the Preakness was also a victory for jockey Jose Santos who was suspected of carrying an electric device during their Kentucky Derby win after a photograph and an article in The Miami Herald were published.

The Churchill Downs stewards cleared him of any wrong doing, and after the Preakness he held up his hands as if to show us he held nothing. "The only machine I had today," he told reporters, "was the red horse I was riding."

Santos also said, "It was a wonderful feeling, believe me. Winning the Preakness was more sentimental because with all the [stuff] that happened. And now we did it. And I don't think nobody can say anything about Mr. Santos, about Funny Cide or [trainer] Barclay Tagg."

Funny Cide, who had only beaten New York-bred competition before his Derby win, was brushed early by New York Hero, but he recovered quickly and settled in behind Scrimshaw and Peace Rules.

The gelding was third along the backstretch. Then Santos made his move just before the turn for home, and the horse took off like Michael Schumacher in a Formula One Ferrari.

Funny Cide won the race by a nine and three quarter length victory only a quarter length shorter than Survivor's ten length record in the first Preakness in 1873.

Midway Road, a 20-1 shot, pulled up to finish second, with Scrimshaw third, and Peace Rules fourth.

"I've been riding 27 years and this is the best horse I ever rode in my life," jockey Santos said.

There's no doubt about it. The simple gelding from New York is on an historic run.

May 2003