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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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Grade 3 Winner Killybegs Captain Retired To Mill Creek Farm In New York

Graded stakes winner Killybegs Captain was retired this month and will enter stud in 2021 at Anne Morgan's and Tim Little's Mill Creek Farm in Stillwater, N.Y. The 7-year-old son of Mizzen Mast out of the Holy Bull mare Al Maha will stand his initial season for $2,500 live foal/stands and nurses.

Campaigned by Curragh Racing and trained by John Terranova, Killybegs Captain won seven of 27 starts with five seconds and three thirds for $572,453 in earnings. A $75,000 purchase at the 2016 OBS April 2-year-olds in training sale, Killybegs Captain was a winner at three, four, five and six and rose from the allowance ranks to become a stakes winner in his last two seasons.

Killybegs Captain scored his biggest victory in the Grade 3 Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash at Laurel Park in 2019, defeating a field that included He Hate Me and New York Central in 1:08.10 for 6 furlongs.

Third in the G2 John A. Nerud Stakes at Belmont Park and G1 Forego Stakes at Saratoga Race Course in 2019, Killybegs Captain also won back-to-back editions of the Pelican Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs in 2019 and 2020. He defeated multiple Grade 1 winner Imperial Hint in the 2019 edition of the Pelican, winning the six-furlong stakes in 1:09.66.

Bred by H. Allen Poindexter, Killybegs Captain is the sixth foal out of Al Maha, a half-sister to stakes winner Find the Treasure and the dam of multiple graded stakes winner Pontchatrain from the family of Grade 1 winner Past Forgetting and Grade 2 winner and sire Concerto.

Killybegs Captain is one of six winners out of Al Maha, who is also the dam of a now 2-year-old unnamed filly by Cross Traffic purchased for $50,000 by Tonja Terranova, agent for Curragh Racing at last year's Keeneland September yearling sale.

“He was a beautiful horse – sound horse – he retired sound,” Tonja Terranova, assistant to her husband, told Daily Racing Form. “He beat Imperial Hint, he was third to Mitole. He was just a solid racehorse; ran short, ran long.”

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Classic Empire Colt Leads Final Session Of Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October Yearlings Sale

A colt from the first crop of 2016 Eclipse champion 2-year-old male Classic Empire led five yearlings sold for $200,000 or more during the final session of the 2020 Kentucky October Yearlings sale on Thursday in Lexington, Kentucky.

The Classic Empire colt topped the session when sold for $310,000 to Mike Ryan, agent from the consignment of St George Sales, agent (video).

Offered as Hip 1398, the bay colt is out of the winning Bernardini mare Delay of Game, whose first foal, Spa Ready (Street Sense), was a 3 1/4-length winner on debut last month at Belmont Park. The immediate family includes U.S. and European champion 2-year-old colt Johannesburg. The session-topper was bred in New York by EKQ Stables Corp.

Four other yearlings sold for $200,000 or more during the final session, including:

Hip 1173, a colt by Empire Maker out of Bagatelle Park (Speightstown), sold for $200,000 to Tonja Terranova, agent from the consignment of Gainesway, agent. From the immediate family of Grade 1 winner Seattle Slew, the colt was bred in Kentucky by D. H. Steve Conboy & Empire Maker Syndicate.
Hip 1372, a filly by Empire Maker out of Curlin's Mistress (Curlin), sold for $200,000 to X-Men Racing LLC from the consignment of Gainesway, agent. Out of a full sister to multiple Grade 2 winner Curlin's Approval, the filly was bred in Florida by Happy Alter and Empire Maker Syndicate.
Hip 1422, a filly by Constitution out of Distinct Sparkle (With Distinction), sold for $200,000 to Shepherd Equine Advisors, agent for Sanders and Hirsch from the consignment of Bluewater Sales, agent. From the immediate family of Breeders' Cup winner Very Subtle, the filly was bred in Pennsylvania by Roberta L. Schneider MD.
Hip 1534, a filly by Nyquist out of Four Sugars (Lookin At Lucky), sold for $200,000 to Oracle Bloodstock, agent from the consignment of Eaton Sales, agent. A half-sister to multiple Grade/Group 1 placed stakes winner Gronkowski, the filly was bred in Kentucky by Diamond Creek Farm.

During the final session, 235 yearlings sold for a $7,290,900, good for an average of $31,025. The session median was $15,000. Over the course of four days of selling, 961 yearlings changed hands for $32,743,000. The average was $34,073. The four-day median was $15,000, a 15 percent increase over the median posted during the 2019 sale.

Results are available online.

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Not This Time Filly Tops OBS Selected Yearling Sale

Hip No. 149, a daughter of Not This Time consigned by Abbie Road Farm (Lisa McGreevy), Agent, went to Tonja Terranova, Agent for $225,000 to top the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's 2020 Selected Sale of Yearlings. The dark bay or brown filly is out of Midnight Magic, by Midnight Lute, a half-sister to graded stakes winner Coalport.

Hip No. 248, a daughter of Into Mischief consigned by Stuart Morris, Agent, was purchased by Colt Pike Bloodstock, Agent for $200,000. The bay filly, a half-sister to stakes winner March X Press, is out of stakes-placed Indian Rush, by Indian Charlie.
Hip No. 121, a son of Wildcat Red consigned by Stuart Morris, Agent, was sold to Patrice Miller, EQB Inc., Agent, for $180,000. The chestnut colt is out of Ivory Meadow, by Meadowlake, a daughter of stakes-placed Ivory Dance.
Karl and Cathi Glassman paid $140,000 for Hip No. 173, a son of Practical Joke consigned by Stuart Morris, Agent. The bay colt is out of Polyester, by Tiz Wonderful, and is a half-brother to graded stakes winner Harpers First Ride, winner of the Pimlico Special (G3) on Oct. 2.
Hip No. 194, a daughter of Uncaptured consigned by Dynasty Thoroughbreds, was sold for $140,000 to Randy Bradshaw. The bay filly, a half-sister to graded stakes winner Elusive Lady, is out of Song of Royalty, by Unbridled's Song.
Hip No. 179, Ready's Humor, a son of Distorted Humor consigned by Colin Brennan Bloodstock, Agent, was purchased by Paul Sharp for $125,000. The chestnut colt, a full brother to graded stakes winner Machen, is out of graded stakes winner Ready's Gal, by More Than Ready.
Champion Equine LLC paid $125,000 for Hip No. 209, a daughter of Upstart consigned by Silver Oaks Farm (Danielle Loya), Agent. The dark bay or brown filly is out of Who'sbeeninmybed, by The Daddy, a half-sister to graded stakes winner Mr. Bowling.
Hip No. 180, a daughter of Valiant Minister consigned by Colin Brennan Bloodstock, Agent for Baoma Corp, went to Quarter Pole Enterprises LLC for $120,000. The gray or roan filly is out of Resilient Humor, by Distorted Humor, a daughter of Grade 1 winner Sassy Image.

Zedan Racing Stables, Inc. went to $155,000 for Hip No. 39, a son of Empire Maker consigned by Top Line Sales LLC, Agent, to top the October Sale's 2-year-olds and horses of racing age section. The 2-year-old bay colt, whose quarter in :21 1/5 was co-fastest at the distance at the Under Tack Show, is a half-brother to graded stakes winner Majestic River out of graded stakes placed stakes winner Tempus Fugit, by Alphabet Soup.

Hip No. 58, Slashing, a 2-year-old son of Nyquist who won impressively in maiden special weight company last Wednesday at Gulfstream Park West, was sold to Red Oak Farm, Inc. for $100,000. The bay colt, consigned by de Meric Sales, Agent, is a half brother to champion Proud Spell out of graded stakes placed Proud Pearl, by Proud Citizen.

For the Selected Yearling Sale, 80 horses sold for a total of $3,338,000, compared with 130 yearlings bringing $5,689,200 a year ago. The average price was $41,725, compared with $43,763 last year, while the median price was $29,000, compared with $30,000 in 2019. The buyback percentage was 40.7 percent; it was 30.1 percent a year ago.

For the 2-year-olds in training and horses of racing age section, 29 horses sold for a total of $816,500, averaging $28,155 with a $16,000 median figure.

The sale continues Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. with Hip No.'s 301 – 721 selling in the open session.

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