Paul Pompa, Jr.’s 4-year-old D' Funnybone , winner of last year’s Hutcheson and Swale stakes (both gr. II), is scheduled to make his return in the $60,000 Sunshine State Stakes going seven furlongs at Gulfstream Park April 9.
Jockey Joe Bravo picks up the mount on D’ Funnybone for trainer Rick Dutrow Jr. in the field of eight Florida-breds as he makes his first start since finishing seventh in the King’s Bishop Stakes (gr. I) on Travers Day at Saratoga last summer. The chestnut son of D'wildcat won a pair of grade II stakes in New York as a 2-year-old and also scored in the Woody Stephens (gr. II) on Belmont Day last spring before going to the sidelines after Saratoga.
D' Funnybone was bred in Florida by Harold J. Plumley. He is 6-2-0 from 11 starts with earnings of $658,200.
One rival D’ Funnybone has faced in Saturday’s field is Gary Barber’s 4-year-old Coffee Boy to be ridden by Alex Solis for trainer Marty Wolfson. The son of Yonaguska won the Carry Back Stakes (gr. II) on July 10 at Calder Race Course in a mild upset with D’ Funnybone second as the 1-10 favorite shipping in from New York.