Funny Feeling tries stakes in Ruthless

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - If trainer Mike Maker had his druthers, he would have run Funny Feeling in a first-level allowance race after her visually impressive debut victory in November at Churchill Downs. Sunday's $65,000 Ruthless Stakes at Aqueduct came up akin to an allowance race, so Maker opted to run the well-bred filly in that spot.

Funny Feeling was one of four maiden winners who joined two-time winner Milc Kids in the six-furlong Ruthless, which will go as race 3 on Sunday's nine-race card.

Funny Feeling is a daughter of Distorted Humor out of the Grade 1 winning mare Hookedonthefeelin, making her a half-sister to the Grade 1 winner Pussycat Doll. In her debut, on Nov. 19 at Churchill Downs, Funny Feeling raced with the pace while four wide through a sharp half-mile, poked a head in front around the far turn, and then drew off with two taps of jockey Julien Leparoux's whip. Funny Feeling covered 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:18.54 and earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 78.

"She was one that was no secret," said Maker, who trains Funny Feeling for Randy Gullatt's Twin Creeks Racing Stables. "She showed a great deal of class from the first day that we had her all the way up to her first race. We were expecting a big effort from her."

Funny Feeling will break from post 4 under Gabriel Saez.

Trainer John Parisella has not won a stakes race since Ruby Rubles won the Grade 3 Bed o' Roses at Aqueduct on April 22, 2000. He has run in only four stakes since. In the Ruthless, he'll send out Wild News, a second-out winner over the main track after she finished second in her debut. Wild News won that race in front-running fashion, though jockey Ramon Dominguez told Parisella that the horse is better with a target.

Wild News, who breaks from post 3 under Dominguez, could get a nice stalking trip behind Funny Feeling or Milc Kids, who won a $7,500 maiden claimer at Finger Lakes before winning an allowance race going six furlongs in the Finger Lakes slop on Dec. 3.

Indian Burn, a daughter of Indian Charlie, makes her first start since winning a seven-furlong maiden race at Belmont on Oct. 23. She ran into a razor-sharp Nonna Mia when beaten 13 3/4 lengths in her debut. Age of Humor won her debut at Meadowlands before finishing second in an allowance race at Philadelphia Park.