Funny Guy laughs all the way to the winner’s circle in NYSS Times Square

By Sarah Mace

Gatsas Stables, R. A. Hill Stable and Swick Stable’s Funny Guy, a bay colt by Big Brown[2], got the chance to laugh all the way to the winner’s circle Saturday after a game victory in the final stakes race of Aqueduct’s spring meet, the Times Square division of the New York Stallion Stakes series. The 6 1/2-furlong sprint for sophomore offspring of eligible New York sires was worth $200,000, double last year’s purse, and drew a robust field of nine.

Let go at odds of 13-1, Funny Guy settled in midpack while Hushion struck the front, joined to his outside by two-time stakes winner Blindwillie McTell. By the time a quarter ticked by in 22.21, Hushion had the lead to the himself. Funny Guy chased in sixth between horses in the second flight.

Midway around the far turn Hushion was again challenged by Blindwillie McTell, and late in the bend Funny Guy angled out for clear running room making his way into the third. As Blindwillie McTell worked to erode Hushion’s lead in upper stretch, Funny Guy advanced inexorably to their outside.

With a furlong to go and Hushion tiring, it came down to a ding-dong battle between a tenacious Blindwillie McTell and Funny Guy, who was determined to prevail.

The pair raced head-and-head until the final sixteenth, when Funny Guy finally wore his rival down and inched away to a three-quarter-length score in a final time of 1:18.29 over the sloppy (sealed) going. Six and three-quarters lengths further back Thorny Tale collected the show money. [VIDEO REPLAY[3]]

Winning jockey Rajiv Maragh said, “Everything went well. He broke well and I wanted him to be close, but the speed went to the front and developed in front of him. We fell into a nice tracking trip and every time I asked him, he kept inching closer. I felt like he was going to give me a good trip straightening up and he powered home in the stretch.”

Trainer John Terranova said, “This was a step up in class. He always had trained like a good horse and like a good New York-bred. Today, he handled the track fine. He’s matured physically so we can do more with him. The more we do, the better he gets. He just has a good presence about him.”

Funny Guy broke his maiden last December 22 at second asking, eking out a neck win going 6 1/2 furlongs in the mud. Making his stakes debut in the Rego Park on January 13, he tired after attending a wicked pace. Returning in mid-March following a brief freshening, Funny Guy ran a solid second in a first-level state-bred allowance after being somewhat compromised at the break. From two wins and second in five starts, the 3-year-old has earned $160,270.

Bred by Hibiscus Stable, Funny Guy brought only $10,000 as a yearling when purchased by RSB Farm at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic sale. Gatsas Thoroughbreds bought him for $45,000 the following year at the OBS spring sale.

He is one of seven winners from seven foals to start out of Heavenly Humor (Distorted Humor). The Kentucky-bred multiple stakes winner was purchased by Hibiscus Stables with Funny Guy in utero at the 2015 Fasig-Tipton New York fall mixed sale for $25,000. Heavenly Humor is also the dam of Ontario-bred stakes winner Super Humor.

Kentucky Derby winner Big Brown[2], who currently sits atop the New York sire standings, stands at Irish Hill & Dutchess Views Stallions[5] for a 2019 fee of $5,000.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2019/04/20/funny-guy-nyss-times-square/

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Newly Minted runs away and hides in NYSS Park Avenue

By Sarah Mace

Beach Haven Thoroughbreds’ Newly Minted looks like a filly with a big future. Within eight days, the daughter of Central Banker went from an untried first-time starter to stakes winner while leaving two robust fields in the dust by a combined 13-plus lengths.

Trainer Linda Rice unveiled Newly Minted a week ago at Aqueduct on April 13. The filly went straight to the front of an eight-horse field of New York-bred maidens under Jose Lezcano before opening up to win by 5 3/4 lengths over muddy going. Her final time of 1:11.38 for six furlongs translated into an impressive debut Beyer Speed Figure of 81. The following Saturday she returned in the 26th running of the $200,000 Park Avenue for eligible New York-sired 3-year-old fillies.

Rice explained why she was comfortable wheeling the filly right back. “We’ve given her lot of time to get to this point. She was very professional the other day and ran a big figure. It’s back on short rest, but I wanted the opportunity to look at it and make the decision to run.” And run she did.

Reunited with Lezcano and away in good order from post five as the 3-2 post time favorite, Newly Minted advanced between horses and hooked up early with speedster and Franklin Square Stakes winner Stonesintheroad, who broke from post six.

As the pair carved out opening fractions of 22.71 and 46.24, Newly Minted saved ground through the turn, cut the corner and spurted to the front at the top of the stretch The bay opened up effortlessly in the lane, ultimately winning by 7 1/2 lengths in a final time of 1:18.81 for 6 1/2 furlongs over the sloppy (sealed) going. Kid is Frosty rallied from midpack to finish second, while Bangle Gal finished third. [VIDEO REPLAY[2]]

Lezcano reported, “[Newly Minted]’s a very nice filly. Last time, I had to [urge] her a little at the quarter-pole. This time, she did it so easy. She did everything right. She handled the ground good. I had so much horse.”

John Sakkos, managing partner of Beach Haven Thoroughbreds, enthused, “I was very happy. I looked out this morning and saw it raining and I was extremely happy because I know she likes it a little bit wet. It was a good day.”

Bred by Chester and Mary Broman, Newly Minted is the second foal out of the couple’s homebred two-time winner Newbie (Bernardini), both of whose foals to start have won. She has a juvenile filly by Carpe Diem named Take the Chance, an unnamed yearling filly by Speightstown and was bred to Classic Empire last year.

Newly Minted, who has earned $114,306 from her two victories was a $110,000 purchase as a juvenile at the OBS March sale.

Newly Minted’s second crop sire Central Banker[3] stands at McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds in Saratoga Springs for a 2019 stud fee of $7,500.

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2019/04/20/newly-minted-park-avenue/

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