FINGER LAKES WELCOMES FUNNY CIDE

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FINGER LAKES WELCOMES FUNNY CIDE  

2003 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner to compete in Wadsworth

FARMINGTON, N.Y. – Funny Cide is listed as the 6-5 morning line favorite for the 31^st renewal of the $100,000 Wadsworth Memorial Handicap, running on Wednesday at Finger Lakes Gaming and Racetrack.

The 2003 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner is assigned 123-pounds as the highweight for the one mile and one-eighth stake for 3-year-olds and up. The 7-year-old gelding will run without blinkers during the Independence Day race; a change since his last two starts.

Funny Cide has won a total of eight stakes races during his career for trainer Barclay Tagg and has amassed $3,469,412 in purse earnings. He earned his popularity by becoming the first New York-bred to win the “Run for the Roses”. The “Gutsy Gelding” followed the Derby victory with a nine and three-quarter length score in the 128^th running of the Preakness Stakes. He has not visited the winners circle since taking the $200,000 Grade 3 Dominion Day Stakes one year ago at Woodbine, but has been in the money in each of his last two starts at New York Racing Association tracks. Jockey Alan Garcia will ride the ten-time winner by Distorted Humor, out of Belle’s Good Cide, in a race for the first time on Wednesday.

Johnie Bye Night, who is expected to be the main threat to Funny Cide, has won four consecutive stakes races at Finger Lakes. The 9-5 second choice won the 2006 running of the Wadsworth Memorial Handicap by six and one-quarter lengths in his only career start over a mile for his owner and trainer Charlton Baker. John Davila, Jr. will be aboard the 2006 Finger Lakes Horse of the Year who won the George W. Barker Handicap in his most recent start on May 28.

Tina Marie Bond’s Tommasi is listed as the 5-1 third choice in the morning line after two straight victories. The 5-year-old gelding finished second in the $50,000 Genesee Valley Breeders’ Handicap at Finger Lakes in September. He has been lightly raced with four starts since that effort which includes a two and one-quarter length win in the Eastview Handicap at “The Thumb” on May 27. John Grabowski will be in the saddle of the bay New York-bred who had a four furlong bullet workout at Saratoga on June 28 for trainer H. James Bond.

Tiger Speech will be entered in a stake for the first time by owner Carmen Seguin. The 5-year-old gelding will be putting a three race win streak on the line on July 4. He has improved with age after beginning his career in a $4,000 maiden claimer in 2005. He also has found more success since stretching out in distance, with four wins and a second, in his last five route attempts. Robert Messina will be in the controls of the 8-1 outsider who will be saddled by 18-time leading Finger Lakes trainer Michael S. Ferraro.

Rounding out the eight horse field in the feature eighth race are: Rises the Phoenix, Out From Africa, Mad Bob Cat and Gebb’s Power.

The Wadsworth Memorial Handicap is part of the festivities planned for ‘Family Day at the Races’, July 4, which includes live music, clowns and magic and an outdoor chicken barbecue. Commemorative T-shirts will be handed out to the first 2,000 guests (18 and over) through the doors. Live coverage of the $100,000 stakes race will be available on WYSL 1040AM and on www.wysl1040.com. 

Members of Sackatoga Stable who own Funny Cide will be available for meet and greet sessions with fans and will display their horse’s trophies from his Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and 2004 Jockey Club Gold Cup victories. Funny Cide buttons will also be given out to the first 2,000 racing fans. Gaming doors open at 10:00 a.m. and racing gates open at 11:30 a.m. 

Below is the field for the $100,000 Wadsworth Memorial Handicap:

 $100,000 Wadsworth Memorial Handicap