Funny Cide Retires
2003 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Champion Funny Cide has been retired at the age of seven. Funny Cide has been one of the most popular horses over the last seven years, and many are surprised to see him retired this year. Trainer Barclay Tagg stated that Funny Cide retires perfectly sound, and they decided that this was the best time to end his racing career. “We decided that after the great fun and excitement of watching Funny Cide win the Wadsworth Memorial at Finger Lakes at the age of 7, it would be a good note on which to retire the horse,” Tagg said.
The champion horse had great seasons as a three-year-old and four-year-old, and he won stakes events every year except his fifth. He retires with 11 victories in 38 starts, with six places and eight shows. His wins include the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, the Jockey Club Gold Cup, and the Excelsior Breeders’ Cup Handicap.
His racing awards include:
- New York Breeders’ Award for Champion Two-Year-Old (2002)
- U.S. Champion Three-Year-Old (2003)
- Champion New York Horse of the Year (2003 & 2004)
He earned over $3.5M in race winnings and only cost owner Tony Everard $22,000 at the Fasig-Tipton New York-bred yearling sale. He recently won the Wadsworth Memorial at the age of seven, and his owners decided to retire him on a winning note. Tagg said “Funny Cide is so happy being at the track; they’re just going to keep riding him like a stable pony and let him go out with the sets each morning.”
