A Preakness Victory Could Be Short Order

Funny Cide’s trainer miscalculated for the first time in months.

After the gelding shocked the racing world by winning the Kentucky Derby, Barclay Tagg figured plenty of challengers would line up to take on his horse in the Preakness.

Instead of a stampede to Pimlico, Funny Cide might have to beat only five 3-year-olds in next Saturday’s race -- a group that will not include Derby favorite Empire Maker.

“It doesn’t really matter what I was thinking,” Tagg said. “To me, it’s less of a chance of getting in trouble, but it could still happen. You have to position yourself a little better because everyone’s going for it.”

Especially Funny Cide, the first gelding in 74 years and first New York-bred horse to win the Derby.

With a Preakness victory, Funny Cide would have another chance to make history. He would return home for the Belmont Stakes on June 7 to try to give racing its first Triple Crown champion in a quarter century. Affirmed swept the Derby, Preakness and Belmont in 1978.

The 1 3/16-mile Preakness, with its tight turns over a fast track, could be the easiest race of all. Heading into the weekend, a field of six was set, but that could change before Wednesday’s post-position draw.

Besides Funny Cide, the starters were: Derby also-rans trained by Bob Baffert (Indian Express, 14th) and D. Wayne Lukas (Scrimshaw, 11th); two fresh colts (Baffert’s Senor Swinger and Midway Road); and one of two Bobby Frankel-trained horses, Peace Rules (third in the Derby) or Midas Eyes.

Cherokee’s Boy, winner of the Federico Tesio at Pimlico on April 19 in his last start, also was being considered by trainer Gary Capuano.

If six start, the Preakness would have its smallest field since 1979, when Kentucky Derby winner Spectacular Bid defeated four rivals. The last seven-horse field was in 1986, when Snow Chief won.

Jack Knowlton, managing partner for Sackatoga Stable, has said all along that if Funny Cide made it to the Triple Crown races, “The Preakness might be the best opportunity ... and I feel good about the small field.”

With Empire Maker out, Knowlton added: “I can’t argue in any way that isn’t to our benefit.”

Funny Cide is a good fit for the Preakness. He’s fast, likes to settle in just behind the leaders, and finishes strong. Which is exactly what the son of Distorted Humor did in beating Frankel’s Empire Maker by 1 3/4 lengths in the Derby.

“There will be some speed horses in there, but I think my horse ought to like it,” Tagg said. “If he duplicates his race in the Derby, that might make it exciting.”

In the 16-horse Derby field, Funny Cide had a nearly perfect trip under jockey Jose Santos.

After bumping with Offlee Wild out of the gate, Funny Cide moved in behind leaders Peace Rules and Brancusi around the first turn and down the backstretch. When Peace Rules took the lead on the far turn, Santos eased Funny Cide outside and moved up to challenge with a quarter-mile to go.

With Empire Maker looming outside, and Peace Rules still fighting inside, Funny Cide opened a clear lead in the stretch and won in the 10th fastest time in Derby history, 2:01.19.

“He had a perfect trip,” Frankel said, “and we didn’t.”

Empire Maker dominated the Derby trail before finishing second as the 5-2 favorite, and will run next in the Belmont, Frankel said.

Despite Funny Cide’s surprising win at 12-1, the usual group of fresh horses aren’t lining up for the Preakness. Last year, nine non-Derby starters were among 12 challengers who failed to beat Derby winner War Emblem.

Fresh horses are rare this year because of injuries and trainers who want to give their horses a break. And Derby runners such as Atswhatimtalknbout, Buddy Gil and Ten Most Wanted returned to California to regroup.

“Every time I’d pick up a paper, Derby horses were falling by the wayside,” Tagg said. “These are frail animals and we’re asking a lot out of them with these races. Anything can happen, day or night. So far, I’ve been lucky with Funny Cide.”

Four times in the last six years, the Derby winner took the Preakness before falling short in the Belmont.

War Emblem stumbled at the start of the Belmont and finished eighth, denying Baffert a Triple Crown for the third time since 1997. In 1999, Lukas’ Charismatic won the first two races, but the colt broke his foot in the final strides of the Belmont and finished third.

Funny Cide will do his best to end the Triple Crown drought.

The chestnut gelding was sold as a yearling for $22,000 and bought a year later for $75,000 by Knowlton and his nine co-owner pals. He has four victories in seven starts and earnings of $1,239,385 for the partnership, which includes six high school buddies from Sacketts Harbor, N.Y.

If he wins the Preakness, his New York homecoming for the Belmont could produce a race to remember. But that’s later. For now, he’s the horse to beat in the Preakness.

“He’s going to have to do it again, but he looked like he had good energy” in the Derby, Lukas said.

“I watched him walk to the van the morning after the race and he looked no worse for wear.”