Tagg Works Funny Cide Ahead of Schedule

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Fearing a wet track for Monday's scheduled breeze, trainer Barclay Tagg worked Kentucky Derby (gr.I) and Preakness (gr.I) winner Funny Cide early Sunday morning at Saratoga Race Course.

Funny Cide is scheduled to return to the races Sunday in the Haskell Invitational (gr. I) at Monmouth Park on Aug. 3.

"We were going to work him tomorrow, but with the rain in the forecast, we decided we'd better get the work in him now," exerciser rider and assistant trainer Robin Smullen said.

The New York Racing Association clockers timed the six-furlong work in 1:12 2/5. Tagg has 1:12 on his stopwatch.

"He went in :24 1/5 the first quarter, nice and relaxed," Smullen said. "He galloped out in 1:25 3/5."

Smullen said the New York-bred gelding felt great to her.

"He needed the work, he was blowing a little bit," she said. "Everything is blowing today off this track. We worked four horses and, man, they all came back blowing."

The humidity level was high early Sunday morning and Smullen said the track seemed a bit heavy.

Smullen said that Funny Cide is likely to have routine gallops the rest of the week and will ship to Monmouth either on Saturday or the day of the race.

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