Derby horse Funny Cide remembered by his Sackets Harbor owners after passing away
SACKETS HARBOR, New York (WWNY) - Funny Cide, a horse owned by 6 friends who grew up in Sackets Harbor that would go on to win 2 of 3 Triple Crown races, passed away Sunday. He was a horse that brought these friends and the community closer together.
Reporter Brendan Straub had a chance to sit down with one of the local owners to learn more about Funny Cide’s legacy.
If you take a drive through the Village of Sackets Harbor, you may notice one street name with a peculiar spelling: Funny Cide Drive, spelled with a “C” instead of an “S”.
But, 20 years ago, that name was all that everyone in this community could talk about.
“Everyone else was paying hundreds of thousands, we paid half of that, you know, for Funny Cide, and didn’t the darn horse win,” said owner John Constance.
And win he did. A $75,000 purchase by Constance and 5 of his childhood friends turned into millions in winnings.
In 2003, Funny Cide would go on to win the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes, coming up just short of a Triple Crown bid by placing third in the Belmont Stakes.
An experience that Constance says brought their friendship even closer together.
“It was one of the greatest things that happened in all our lives, obviously wives, children, family always first, but Funny Cide just came into our lives, it’s enriched it. We have an appreciation for it,” said Constance.
They are memories that Constance says were shared amongst the group on Sunday after hearing of Funny Cide’s passing.
The horse died at 23years old at the Kentucky Horse Park after complications of colic.
In his memory, Constance flies the stable flag outside his home, dawned with the Sackets Harbor colors.
“Funny Cide was as a piece of everyone in Sackets Harbor that wanted to be apart of it, he belonged to everybody,” said Constance.
The end of an era for a horse that was beloved by his owner and the small town community who cheered him on.
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Source: WWNY
