Maiden winners tough to separate in Funny Cide
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SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Combined, the eight New York-bred colts entered in the $200,000 Funny Cide Stakes on Friday at Saratoga Race Course have a record of nine starts, seven wins, and two seconds.
It’s a lot of success in very few races.
So handicappers will have a tough time telling the colts apart on paper. On July 18, in fact, two chestnut New York-bred colts who will be strongly bet in the 6 1/2-furlong Funny Cide – Senbei and Shipsational – ran four races apart at Saratoga over wet tracks, and both won by open lengths.
Although Senbei beat his competition by 4 3/4 lengths and Shipsational won by 6 3/4, Senbei ran the better race. His final time of 1:04.38 on a muddy track was just less than four lengths better than Shipsational’s 1:05.02 on a sloppy track. Senbei also earned a 73 Beyer Speed Figure, while Shipsational’s race earned a 64.
“It’s a big question mark,” said Christophe Clement, trainer of Senbei, on who has run the best race in such a competitive but inexperienced field. “As a trainer, though, as long as you come out of a race sound and train forwardly, you are happy.”
Senbei has worked three times since the July 18 win. Shipsational, trained by Edward Barker, has breezed four times.
While seven of the eight Funny Cide entrants are based in New York, Bob Baffert ships in Montebello from California after the New York-bred son of Curlin hung on as the favorite against five others in an open maiden special weight win on Aug. 7 at Del Mar. Montebello was bought for $400,000 at the Keeneland September yearling sale last year.
In his maiden win, Montebello beat a stablemate, Flying Drummer, who was purchased for $850,000 at the OBS 2-year-old sale in the spring. Flying Drummer is entered in a maiden race Friday at Del Mar.
“He showed a lot of heart and grit,” Baffert said, referring to Montebello. “He had every reason to be passed in the stretch by my other horse. . . . He wouldn’t let him by, and you like to see that.”
As opposed to the runners in the field who were well supported at the windows in their debuts, Daufuskie Island comes into the Funny Cide off an impressive five-length win at 12-1 in a Saratoga maiden on Aug. 12 – with a field-best Beyer of 76. Trainer Jeremiah Englehart is wheeling the homebred son of Goldencents back two weeks later after one work.
“He’s one that carries a little weight on him, and he’s tightened up a little since” the win, Englehart said. “If there’s one in the barn that can come back that quick, it’s probably him.”
--additional reporting by David Grening