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General George Favorite Funny Guy One Serious Racehorse

His name evokes a smile, and though he has yet to register a win against open competition, make no mistake – Funny Guy is one serious racehorse.

Gatsas Stables, R. A. Hill Stable and Swick Stable's Funny Guy is a five-time stakes winner against fellow New York-breds that owns six wins, six seconds and $638,645 in purse earnings from 17 lifetime starts.

The 5-year-old son of 2008 Kentucky Derby (G1) and Preakness (G1) winner Big Brown has fared well in the occasional foray into open company, including a runner-up finish behind Grade 1 winner Firenze Fire in the Vosburgh (G2) last fall at his home base of Belmont Park.

Funny Guy is entered to make his graded-stakes return in Saturday's $250,000 General George (G3) at Laurel Park, where he is the 9-5 program favorite against a field boasting seven other stakes winners including Grade 3 winners Laki, Majestic Dunhill and Share the Ride.

The 45th running of the General George for 4-year-olds and up and $250,000 Runhappy Barbara Fritchie (G3) for females 4 and older, both sprinting seven furlongs, serve as the co-headliners on a nine-race Winter Sprintfest program featuring six stakes worth $900,000 in purses rescheduled from Feb. 13 due to weather.

Funny Guy has been at Laurel since last week under the supervision of Tonja Terranova, wife and assistant to trainer John Terranova. Though training has been intermittently interrupted by weather, John Terranova said Funny Got got in a “strong gallop” Wednesday morning.

“It's all good. We'll just do what we've got to do during the week,” he said. “I guess everyone else is in the same boat with the postponement. We'll just ride the wave.”

The General George will be only the second time Funny Guy has raced outside of New York. The first came in the 2019 Oklahoma Derby (G3), when he ran sixth behind Owendale, third in that year's Preakness, and runner-up Sleepy Eyes Todd, most recently fourth in the $3 million Pegasus World Cup (G1) Jan. 23 at Gulfstream Park and running in Saturday's $20 million Saudi Cup.

“He's been great. He's honest, he does everything right. He's been a fun horse to be around,” John Terranova said. “He's versatile and just keeps coming back for more each time. He's had a couple little circumstances where maybe the track got to him a little bit or it just didn't set up quite right, but he's always given us a big effort.”

One start prior to last year's Vosburgh, Funny Guy wound up fourth by 2 ½ lengths in the Forego (G1) at Saratoga to Win Win Win, another veteran of the 2019 Triple Crown trail, and Grade 1 winner Complexity, the runner-up. The seven-furlong Forego was contested during a thunderstorm that rolled through at post time. In a sign of respect, Funny Guy was sent off as the favorite in the Forego and Vosburgh.

“The Forego was one of those circumstances with that horrific rainstorm we were in the middle of when they snapped the gate on us. Everybody rushed out to the track and it was an absolute deluge,” Terranova said. “You couldn't even see them. It was like running through a river. He was down inside, just buried in there. The track took away from a lot of performances on that afternoon.”

Funny Guy's stakes wins have come at distances from 6 ½ furlongs to the 1 1/8 miles of the Albany, which he captured by a neck in 2019 at Saratoga, earning him a shot in the Oklahoma Derby. Given some time off after that effort, he returned with back-to-back stakes wins in the one-mile Commentator and seven-furlong John Morrissey last summer.

In his 2021 debut, Funny Guy ran second as the favorite in the seven-furlong Say Florida Sandy Jan. 9 at Aqueduct, his first start since a neck triumph in the New York Stallion Series Thunder Rumble Nov. 22, also going seven-eighths at the Big A.

“The track was a little loose on him. He's a big, heavy horse and winter tracks, they get cold, they get cuppy, they get loose and dry,” Terranova said. “He doesn't really get his feet that far up off the ground so I think he struggled with it, having that quickness to him. It took it a little bit away from him the last start. Our jock said the same thing after getting off him.”

Funny Guy owns two wins and two seconds in five career tries at the General George distance, and is two-for-three on an off track. A second winter storm is scheduled to pass through the Laurel area Thursday into Friday morning.

“He's certainly doing well coming into this. We're just kind of like in this holding pattern, not much to do this week,” Terranova said. “He's doing great. We've been looking forward to this race. Wet or dry, he's been great. Everything's good.”

Terranova has shipped in to Maryland and left with graded-stakes before, taking the 2019 Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash (G3) with Killybegs Captain. It was the trainer's most recent of more than a dozen graded triumphs.

“We've been lucky down there and very fortunate that we've had some good success with our horses,” he said. “Hopefully it continues with Funny Guy.”

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After Weather Delay, Russell Sends Trio Of Winter Sprintfest Entrants On ‘Field Trip’ To Pimlico

With two program favorites for Laurel Park's rescheduled Winter Sprintfest program and another horse listed as second choice on the morning line, trainer Brittany Russell took her stakes trio on a mini road trip to keep them sharp for the big day.

Winter Sprintfest, featuring six stakes, two graded, worth $900,000 in purses, was postponed to Feb. 20 due to a winter storm that hit Laurel leading up to the original Feb. 13 date. The weather also caused training over the main track to be suspended over the weekend.

Areas north of Laurel didn't see as much ice and mixed precipitation, so Russell was able to ship Hello Beautiful, Maythehorsebwithu and Little Huntress the 45 minutes to historic Pimlico Race Course Monday, which remained open for training.

“They really enjoyed themselves, actually. It's quiet and it was an easy enough little deal,” Russell said. “My assistant went with them. It was good. They all seemed like they were pleased with themselves when they came home, so that was good.

“Hopefully we can just give them a few spirited gallops during the week and just keep them happy and doing enough,” she added. “Shoot, if I have to put them on a truck to go to Pimlico again I'm not going to hesitate to do that. It's just a little field trip.”

Russell's main stable is at Laurel with additional horses at Pimlico and, for the first time, at Palm Meadows, Gulfstream Park's satellite training facility in Palm Beach County, Florida. Hello Beautiful is a five-time stakes winner, the last three of them in succession heading into the $250,000 Runhappy Barbara Fritchie (G3), where she is tops at 8-5 in a field of eight.

Maythehorsebwithu is the 2-1 narrow choice over multiple stakes winner Kenny Had a Notion (5-2) in the $100,000 Miracle Wood for 3-year-olds. Little Huntress, a 14-length maiden winner in her second start Dec. 27 at Laurel, is listed at 3-1 for her sophomore and stakes debut in the $100,000 Wide Country for 3-year-old fillies. Five-time stakes winner Street Lute is favored at 2-1.

“They're all actually really good. Hello Beautiful [was] coming back in four weeks so, to be fair, I didn't mind an extra week. She likes a little bit of time. They're all pretty good-training horses and as long as they're galloping they get enough out of it,” Russell said. “I always feel a little bit of pressure because I want all my horses to run well but especially horses like that.

“We want them to be good. You want to win stakes. You want them to step up and be better horses. It's exciting. To be honest, when the day comes I'm just kind of ready for it to be over and know the result,” she added. “It can be mentally draining but it's nice that those are the kinds of horses that we're worrying about. That's what it comes down to.”

Russell would have had another major Winter Sprintfest contender in Whereshetoldmetogo, back-to-back winner of the Frank Whiteley and Dave's Friend to cap 2020 who was nominated to the $250,000 General George (G3). Instead, he is being pointed to make his 6-year-old debut in the $75,000 Not For Love for Maryland-bred/sired horses March 13 at Laurel.

“He just needed a little bit more time. He's fine, but I think we can have him a little better for the Maryland-bred race,” Russell said. “We decided to make that the goal. I missed a little bit of time with him, no big deal, but it was just one of those things where it looked like the better way to go with him.”

Russell has five wins and has finished in the top three with 13 of 18 starters (72 percent) at Laurel's winter meet, which runs Jan. 1 through March 28. She reached a career high with 46 wins and $1.6 million in purse earnings in 2020, challenging for leading trainer honors at the calendar year-ending fall stand.

“I think we stay so busy and we're so humble about it. I still worry about the $5,000 horses,” Russell said. “[Stakes horses] aren't the only ones you're worrying about, so it kind of keeps you grounded.”

The Laurel area is bracing for another hit from Mother Nature. A winter storm warning has been issued from 3 a.m. Thursday to 6 a.m. Friday with heavy snow, sleet and freezing rain in the forecast, which is calling for 3 to 6 inches of snow.

“It is what it is,” Russell said. “Everybody's kind of in the same boat. You just keep them happy until they get to run.”

It's been a more hectic month than usual for Russell, who balances work with being a wife to Laurel rider Sheldon Russell and mother of 18-month-old daughter, Edy. On Feb. 9, Russell had 3-year-old Hello Hot Rod sell for $335,000 at Fasig-Tipton's winter auction in Kentucky, just 10 days after the colt's victory in the Jimmy Winkfield at Aqueduct.

Russell and Dark Horse Racing purchased Hello Hot Rod for $10,000 as a yearling in October 2019. A son of leading Mid-Atlantic freshman sire Mosler, he won his last three starts including maiden and allowance victories at Laurel to cap his juvenile season. New owner George Sharp has many of his horses with trainer Shawn Davis, based at Turf Paradise, which hosts the Turf Paradise Derby March 12.

Hello Hot Rod is the younger half-brother to Hello Beautiful, herself a $6,500 purchase by Russell at Fasig-Tipton's Midlantic December 2018 mixed sale now owned by Madaket Stables, Albert Frassetto, Mark Parkinson, K-Mac Stables and Magic City Stables.

“It's pretty exciting. Bittersweet, though,” Russell said of Hello Hot Rod's sale. “But, we just have to be happy that he sold well and maybe we can pick another one up. Maybe the third time's the charm. Maybe the third one will be the best.”

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‘Makes It All Worthwhile’: Feargal Lynch Posts Comeback Victory At Laurel

In just the second ride of his comeback from neck and back fractures that kept him away from the races for 200 days, journeyman Feargal Lynch piloted James Wolf's Nomo Ron to a 2 ½-length victory in Monday's special Presidents Day holiday feature at Laurel Park.

Nomo Ron ($7.40), a 6-year-old Paynter gelding trained by Anthony Farrior, ran six furlongs in 1:10.45 over a sloppy and sealed main track to capture the third-level optional claiming allowance for older horses, his ninth career win.

It was the first win for the 42-year-old Lynch since registering a hat track July 17, 2020 at Laurel, including a triumph on subsequent Maryland Million Turf Sprint and Claiming Crown Canterbury winner Fiya.

Represented by agent Chris Pipito, Lynch launched his comeback with a single mount Feb. 7 at Laurel, Graham Motion-trained Saintly Samurai, who was also racing for the first time since winning under Lynch last July 17. Lynch suffered a condylar fracture in his neck and wedge compression fracture in his back from a spill at Laurel just six days later.

“Yeah, that was nice. It makes it all worthwhile,” Lynch said. “I'm just glad to get the first winner back. I'm very thankful to Mr. Wolf and Anthony Farrior and all the people that helped me get here; my wife and my agent. It's been a good team effort and I'm just happy for everybody that we're back up and running.”

Lynch kept Nomo Ron in the clear three wide as Stroll Smokin and jockey Xavier Perez set the pace with Grade 3 winner and even-money favorite Always Sunshine, trained by Ned Allard, racing in between. Nomo Ron rolled up to take the lead on the turn after a half in 46.37 seconds and pulled away once straightened for home. Stroll Smokin finished second, with Always Sunshine third.

“I thought Ned Allard's horse would have a bit more pace. I thought he'd go and attack Xavier,” Lynch said. “Xavier had the lead and my horse broke really well in my hands and was traveling well. I just didn't want to disappoint him on that track. He got braver and braver and when we got into the straight, he went on about his business and he got the job done.”

Lynch is named on three horses when live racing returns to Laurel Park Friday, Feb. 19, including Grade 2 winner Shotski for trainer Jerry O'Dwyer. On the Feb. 20 Winter Sprintfest program, he will ride Needs Supervision for O'Dwyer in the $250,000 Runhappy Barbara Fritchie (G3), Majestic Dunhill in the $250,000 General George (G3) and Buckey's Charm in the $100,000 Wide Country for 3-year-old fillies.

Winter Sprintfest, featuring six stakes worth $900,000 in purses, was rescheduled from Feb. 13 due to inclement weather that also cost Laurel Sunday's Valentine's Day card.

“We're coming back and we'll hopefully have a nicer track for this Saturday. I've got some rides Friday, Saturday and Sunday,” Lynch said. “I'm looking forward to the stakes again. I think a lot of the horses are staying here, so they're all going to be in the same boat.”

Lynch is a two-time meet leading rider at Pimlico Race Course, owning 526 career North American victories and nearly $19 million in purses earned, according to Equibase statistics. He is the younger brother of Laurel-based trainer Cal Lynch.

A former champion apprentice in England, Lynch rode Caribou Club to a record-setting victory in the 2019 Baltimore-Washington International Turf Cup (G3) at Laurel, setting the Dahlia turf course mark of 1:33.35 for one mile.

Lynch was also the regular rider of retired multiple graded-stakes winning millionaire Irish War Cry during his undefeated 2-year-old season of 2016 that included a win in the Marylander, now Heft Stakes.

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Horsemen Adapting After Winter Sprintfest’s One-Week Delay At Laurel

In a sport where making last-minute adjustments is a daily occurrence, horsemen are adapting accordingly to the one-week transfer of the Winter Sprintfest program, originally scheduled for Feb. 13 at Laurel Park in Maryland.

The entire nine-race program featuring six stakes, two graded, worth $900,000 in purses will be run Saturday, Feb. 20. Co-headlining the card are the $250,000 Runhappy Barbara Fritchie (G3) for females and $250,000 General George (G3).

Barry Schwartz's Grade 3-winning homebred Sharp Starr, based at Belmont Park with trainer Horacio DePaz, was one of two horses that shipped to Maryland for the Fritchie, which attracted a field of eight including Laurel-based multiple stakes winners Hello Beautiful, the 8-5 program favorite, and Dontletsweetfoolya.

“The only way it affects us, and it's in a positive way, is the filly has more time to settle in,” trainer Horacio DePaz said. “I'm just going to leave her here at Laurel and train from here and go into the race. It's all good on that part.”

Sharp Starr, winner of the Go for Wand (G3) Dec. 5 at Aqueduct, exits a bullet half-mile work in 47 seconds Feb. 6, the fastest of 140 horses over Belmont's training track. She drew the rail in the Fritchie and is the 3-1 second choice on the morning line for DePaz, the former private trainer for Sagamore Farm who maintains a string at Pimlico Race Course.

“She had a huge work coming into it and she's been doing good and settled in for the most part pretty good,” DePaz said. “It just gives us more time. She's eating well, so hopefully we'll get some nice days to train. We'll see what happens.”

R.A. Hill Stable's 2020 Bold Ruler (G3) winner Majestic Dunhill made the trip from Palm Beach Downs in South Florida to Maryland, where the 6-year-old gelding drew Post 4 in a field of 10 for the General George that included fellow graded winners Laki and Share the Ride and multiple stakes winners Lebda and Funny Guy, the 9-5 program favorite based in New York.

“Whenever you're pointing for a race, particularly a stakes race, you put your horse on a schedule and have a very deliberate plan, and then something like this happens with the weather,” Majestic Dunhill trainer George Weaver said. “All the other horses have to deal with it, too. It is what it is.”

Majestic Dunhill shipped in to win the 2018 City of Laurel, run second in the 2019 General George and third in the 2017 Laurel Futurity on turf and 2019 Polynesian.

“I'm just going to leave him there and train him over the phone, and hopefully he does OK,” he added. “We know he likes it at Laurel.”

So, too, does Louis Ulman and Neil Glasser's Kenny Had a Notion, whose four wins from seven career starts include the Jamestown on turf and the Maryland Million Nursery and Spectacular Bid on dirt, the latter Jan. 16. The son of Great Notion is the 5-2 second choice among seven in the $100,000 Miracle Wood for 3-year-olds going one mile.

“You know in this business, you're calling audibles every day. So, we'll have to see how the weather and the track is the next couple days and then I'll decide what I need to do with him. Hopefully we can get something done with him before Saturday,” trainer Dale Capuano said. “The extra time won't hurt him.”

Capuano also entered Mopo Racing's 5-year-old gelding Dixie Drawl in the $100,000 John B. Campbell for 4-year-olds and up at about 1 1/16 miles. Dixie Drawl is third choice in the program at 9-2.

“I don't think the extra time is going to bother him, either,” Capuano said. “I was going to scratch him anyway with the track coming up sloppy so, for him, it worked out just as well. It's another chance for a fast track for him. We'll see.”

The son of late trainer Phil Capuano whose younger brother, Gary, is also a Laurel-based trainer, Dale Capuano has won 3,530 races and more than $63 million in purse earnings since 1981, and is the all-time leading trainer in Maryland Million history with 13 wins.

“It was bad timing, but we'll see what happens next week,” he said. “You never know what you're gonna get.”

Laurel is scheduled to host a special Presidents Day holiday program Monday, Feb. 15, offering carryovers of $3,531.94 in the 20-cent Rainbow 6 (Races 4-9) and $1,386.50 in the $1 Super Hi-5 (Race 2). First race post time is 12:25 p.m.

Monday's card includes a 5 ½-furlong allowance for Maryland-bred/sired horses in Race 7 that includes narrow 3-1 program favorite Nightlife and 2020 Wide Country winner Naughty Thoughts, and a third-level optional claiming allowance for older horses in Race 8 where Grade 3 winner Always Sunshine is favored at 2-1 off a Jan. 24 victory – his first start in 541 days.

John and Diane Fradkin's Rombauer, sent off as the 6-5 favorite in a field of eight, rallied from last to first for a neck victory over Javanica in the $100,000 El Camino Real Derby Feb. 13 at Golden Gate Fields. Trained by Michael McCarthy and second in the American Pharoah (G1) last fall at Santa Anita, the bay Twirling Candy colt earned an automatic berth to the 146^th Preakness Stakes (G1) May 15 at Pimlico.

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