New York honors Funny Cide

Funny Cide and his connections were the big winners at an award ceremony for the top New York-breds of 2003 in Albany, N.Y., on Monday evening.

Funny Cide, who won last year's Eclipse Award for top 3-year-old male, was named New York-bred horse of the year by a group of New York turf writers. The gelding, who won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness for Sackatoga Stable, also was recognized as champion New York-bred 3-year-old male.

The New York Thoroughbred Breeders presented awards to Funny Cide's trainer, jockey, and breeder - Barclay Tagg, Jose Santos, and WinStar Farm.

Read the Footnotes, who will run in Saturday's Kentucky Derby, was named champion 2-year-old male.

The other divisional winners were Whitmore's Conn (turf male); Well Fancied (older male); Buy the Sport (3-year-old filly); Carson Hollow (older female); Bossanova (sprinter); Wake Up Kiss (turf female); Capeside Lady (2-year-old filly); and Greek Hero (steeplechase).

Final Accord, the dam of Buy the Sport and three other New York-bred stakes winners, was honored by the NYTB as broodmare of the year. Jerry Nielsen, the NYTB president until his death earlier this year, was bestowed a Lifetime Achievement Award.