Jack Knowlton, operating manager for Sackatoga Stable, joins Ray Paulick and bloodstock editor Joe Nevills on this week's Friday Show to reminisce about Eclipse Award champion Funny Cide, the popular New York-bred gelding who took the racing world by storm in 2003 with victories in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes before Derby runner-up Empire Maker turned the tables on him in the Belmont Stakes before a rain-soaked crowd of 101,864 at Belmont Park.
Funny Cide died earlier this week after experiencing complications from colic. He'd been a star attraction at the Kentucky Horse Park's Hall of Champions in Lexington, Ky., since 2008.
Knowlton talks about the formation of the partnership with some old friends from high school, the use of school buses to transport the Sackatoga partners to the track when Funny Cide made his Triple Crown run, and the tremendous publicity the horse brought to racing.
He also hails the work trainer Barclay Tagg and assistant Robin Smullen did to keep Funny Cide competitive and sound through 38 starts over six racing seasons, beginning with a 14 3/4-length maiden win in September of his 2-year-old year up to a three-length victory in his finale in a stakes at Finger Lakes at age 7. Knowlton is a strong advocate for Tagg's election to the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame.
Watch this week's episode of The Friday Show below:
The post The Friday Show Presented By Woodbine: Remembering Funny Cide appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
