– That would be Funny Cide, in the words of Finger Lakes announcer Ross Morton, winning the Wadsworth Memorial Handicap in leisurely style this afternoon. Breaking slowly from the gate, jockey Alan Garcia settled Funny Cide into fifth down the backstretch, well off the lead and to the outside, letting second favorite Johnie Bye Night set moderate fractions alone on the lead before turning even-money Funny Cide loose in the stretch to win by three lengths. A packed grandstand applauded as the gutsy gelding returned to the winner’s circle, his first trip to one since last year’s Dominion Day Stakes at Woodbine.
– At Belmont, a speed duel with Rondo cooked favored Commentator in the Tom Fool. The first quarter was run in :22.07, the second in :21.92. “If you look at 10,000 races, you’ll never see that again,” said Commentator’s trainer Nick Zito after. “A ’21’ second quarter? Have you ever heard of that?” The third slowed to :24.55, but the first half proved too much for the favorite, who tired and finished third. High Finance, never more than half a length off the pace, got the win; Awesome Twist was second by a neck. Trainer Rick Violette is already considering the Forego Handicap for High Finance’s next start.
– Eleven minutes to the Dwyer and Any Given Saturday is the 7-5 favorite and Nobiz Like Showbiz, at 8-5, is wearing front bandages for the first time …
Posted by JC in Races/Results on 07/04/2007 @ 5:05 pm / Follow @railbird on Twitter
A source close to the investigation told the Daily Racing Form that cobra venom was found in trainer Patrick Biancone’s Keeneland barns during a search by KHRA investigators on June 22:
The cobra venom, which is barred by state regulation from racetrack grounds, was in crystalline form and was found in a refrigerator in one of the tack rooms used for the storage of supplies, said the source, adding the substance was in a small container labeled “Toxin.” Snake venom has been known to be injected to deaden or “block” a horse’s joint or nerve, and in a case settled last week in Saratoga County, N.Y., two Standardbred horsemen pled guilty of doing just that before a race last October at Saratoga Raceway.
The article mentions that the venom was one of the substances confiscated from Biancone’s barns and that the trainer’s veterinarian, Dr. Rod Stewart, is also a subject of the investigation. A hearing is pending.
More from DRF: “Facts about cobra venom that many people in horse racing probably do not know: It’s easy for a veterinarian to obtain. It’s legal to possess. There is very little hope of devising a test to detect its administration any time soon.”
Posted by JC in Misdeeds & Wrongdoing on 07/04/2007 @ 3:00 pm / Follow @railbird on Twitter
Funny Cide travels to Finger Lakes for the Wadsworth Memorial Handicap on Wednesday, and his upstate fans, even those who’ll be running or riding horses against him in the race, are feeling pretty excited about the Derby winner’s appearance:
Of course, Davila is going to spend most of his time in the paddock before the race gawking at Funny Cide.
“You see him race on TV and it’s one thing but to see him in person, it’s great,” Davila said. “I feel so good that that horse is coming here to run. It’s a thrill to ride in the same race with that horse.”
Jockey John Grabowski, who will ride Tommasi for breeder, owner and trainer Jim Bond, will be a fan before post time as well.
“I’m just like everyone else, I’m going to take a long look at him,” Grabowski said. “It’s an honor to be there with him” (Democrat and Chronicle).
The Wadsworth drew a field of eight; Funny Cide’s main competition will be Johnie Bye Night, a local speedball and winner of last year’s Wadsworth.
Posted by JC in Races/Results on 07/03/2007 @ 11:00 pm / Follow @railbird on Twitter
