Funny Guy turns tables in NYSS Times Square division

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Three months after getting beat 18 1/2 lengths by Blindwillie McTell in the Rego Park Stakes, Funny Guy looked that rival in the eye in the stretch and outfinished him by three-quarters of a length to win Saturday’s $200,000 Times Square division of the New York Stallion Stakes at Aqueduct.

Blindwillie McTell, returning from a three-month layoff following an infection that developed after he cut himself in the Rego Park in January, finished second by 6 3/4 lengths over Thorny Tale.

The win was the second from five starts for Funny Guy, a son of Big Brown who is affectionately known as “Chubby” around the barn. That nickname is due to the horse’s tendency to get heavy. With each race and some more asked of him in the mornings, Funny Guy has responded, according to his trainer John Terranova.

“He’s always trained like a good New York-bred, like he’d do some things and make some money,” Terranova said. “The more we do with him, the better he seemed to respond.”

A sloppy track certainly didn’t hinder Funny Guy, whose previous victory came in the mud here in December.

In the Rego Park, Terranova said Funny Guy seemed to tense up racing between horses and he faded in the stretch. He was also running back in three weeks.

Saturday, under Rajiv Maragh, Funny Guy was again between horses down the backside, but he was more comfortable, according to Maragh.

Turning for home, Maragh tipped him three wide, sending him after Hushion, who set the pace, and Blindwillie McTell, who chased it from second. Blindwillie McTell, under Irad Ortiz Jr., took the lead inside the eighth pole, but Funny Guy collared him and outfinished him to the wire.

Funny Guy, owned by Gatsas Stables, Randy Hill, and Swick Stable, covered the 6 1/2 furlongs in the slop in 1:18.29 and returned $29.20 in what was the final race of the Aqueduct spring meeting.

“Every time I asked him to get a little closer to the lead I said ‘Whoa, I got some horse here,’” Maragh said. “In the stretch, I put him in the clear and he got gutsy.”

Terranova indicated he may switch Funny Guy to the turf during the Belmont Park meet, but he could also point to the Mike Lee Stakes on dirt on May 27.

Newly Minted dominates Park Avenue

Seven days after she won a maiden race, Newly Minted became a newly minted stakes winner, galloping to a 7 1/2-length victory in the $200,000 Park Avenue division of the New York Stallion Stakes.

Under Jose Lezcano, who turned 34 years old Saturday, Newly Minted dueled inside of Stonesintheroad through a quarter in 22.71 seconds and a half-mile in 46.24.

Turning into the lane, Newly Minted kept on going while Stonesintheroad retreated. With just a slap or two on the shoulder by Lezcano, Newly Minted cruised to the wire a much-the-best winner.

Kid Is Frosty, who sat a stalking fourth early, rallied for second by 2 1/4 lengths over Bagle Gal, a maiden who broke last. Alphadora, Fair Lassie, Pretty Spectacular, Dancing Slippers, Stonesintheroad, and Canarsie Princess completed the order of finish.

Newly Minted, a daughter of Central Banker owned by Beach Haven Thoroughbreds and trained by Linda Rice, covered the 6 1/2 furlongs over a sealed, sloppy track in 1:18.81 and returned $5 as the favorite.

Lezcano said despite the early pace battle he felt he had so much horse turning for home he knew Newly Minted would kick on.

“Last time I got to the quarter pole and started riding, but today she did everything so easy,” Lezcano said. “I didn’t get down and ask her for anything.”