Can do: Funny Cide Story Tools |
NEW YORK (CNN) -- A racehorse named Funny Cide is one race away from completing the greatest achievement in the sport -- racing's Triple Crown championship.
Funny Cide has already won this season's Kentucky Derby and Preakness races and if he wins Saturday's Belmont Stakes in New York, it will be the first Triple Crown winner in 25 years.
CNN's Daryn Kagan and Bill Hemmer spoke with Funny Cide's owners Friday.
KAGAN: Jack Knowlton and Jon Constance, gentlemen, congratulations on the incredible success of Funny Cide. Victory would bring $5 million in cash tomorrow, which would mean a lot to guys like you, because I have got to say, what's a bunch of non-Saudi princes like you guys doing in a race like this for the Triple Crown?
KNOWLTON: The prince and the pauper, so to speak. We are not quite paupers, but we're not princes either. So we don't try to think about the money too much. This is the history of the sport we are going for right now, and if we get to walk the Winner's Circle, I'll start thinking about it then.
KAGAN: How did you find this particular horse?
CONSTANCE: The horse was picked out by our trainers, Barkley Tagg and Robin Smullen. They have done a great job for us all along. They spotted the horse about a year ago and asked us if we were interested, and thank God we were.
HEMMER: There is going to be a major story tomorrow regarding the weather. It may rain. Jack, how's Funny Cide done in the past? Would you consider it a mudder or not?
KNOWLTON: Oh, absolutely. The Preakness that we won three weeks ago was a very wet track. They officially had it as good at race time, but it was a sloppy mess earlier in the card.
Knowlton, center, and Constance, next to him in dark jacket, are interviewed Friday. |
HEMMER: Now, wet is one thing, right? But muddy is a completely different matter.
KNOWLTON: He ran a good race. Second to Empire Maker by half a length in Wood Memorial, and that was on a muddy track. And we know from working out in the morning he's been able to run well in the slop and the mud. He really doesn't care. Robin Smullen, our assistant trainer, said he could run over a plowed field. It just doesn't matter. He loves to race.
KAGAN: The one little dark cloud that hung over this incredible success story is what happened after the Kentucky Derby, the charges that your jockey, Jose Santos, was cheating with something in his hand. Of course, has been completely vindicated. But has that spoiled this amazing experience for you guys at all?
KNOWLTON: No. It was just a glitch for a couple of days. We felt really bad for Jose and his family, especially because they were calling him a cheater, which was not the case, and proved so. But life goes on. We go on to the Preakness, we do well there, and Saturday's a new day.
HEMMER: When it comes to big races, handicappers will tell you, the horse has to respond to the crowd and the people around it to really show that it can indeed compete on this level. Why do you think Funny Cide right now has responded to the crowds and the people at the Preakness and at the Kentucky Derby?
CONSTANCE: Funny Cide loves the crowd and he loves to run in New York.
