Edited press release
Sackatoga Stable’s Funny Cide, winner of the 2003 Kentucky Derby (gr. I) and Preakness Stakes (gr. I), figures to draw a large holiday crowd to Finger Lakes Gaming & Racetrack July 4 when he competes in the $100,000 Wadsworth Memorial Handicap at the upstate New York track.
Seven-year-old Funny Cide, trained by Barclay Tagg, will make his first appearance at Finger Lakes in the Wadsworth Memorial, a 1 1/8-mile event for 3-year-olds and up. The purse was bumped up from $50,000 to lure Funny Cide, whose owners will be on hand for meet-and-greet sessions and to display trophies won by the gelding.
Funny Cide, a popular New York-bred, is listed as the 6-5 morning-line favorite in a field of eight for the Wadsworth Memorial. Alan Garcia has the mount at 123 pounds. The last victory for the son of Distorted Humor came about a year ago in the Dominion Day Stakes (Can-III) at Woodbine.
The second choice at 9-5 is Johnie Bye Night, who’s owned and trained by Charlton Baker. Johnie Bye Night won the 2006 Wadsworth Memorial and has won four consecutive stakes at Finger Lakes. John Davila Jr. will ride at 119 pounds.
Others in the race are Rises The Phoenix, Tiger Speech, Out From Africa, Mad Bob Cat, Tommasi, and Gebb’s Power.