Funny Cide, Mine That Bird return to site of Kentucky Derby
victories
Fans who visit Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Derby Museum on
Thursday will enjoy a rare opportunity to admire two winners of the
Kentucky Derby when 2003 winner Funny Cide
and Mine That Bird, the longshot victor in 2009, make joint appearances at both
venues.
Mine That Bird is in limited residence through July 4 at
the Kentucky Derby Museum. Funny Cide will travel from his current home at the
Kentucky Horse Park near Lexington to celebrate the 10th anniversary of his
triumph in the “Run for the Roses.”
The two Derby winners will be joined at both venues by key
members of their respective teams. Jack Knowlton, the managing partner of the
Sackatoga Stable partnership that owns Funny Cide, and jockey Jose Santos will
join the 2003 winner. Trainer Chip Woolley, who saddled Mine That Bird for his
50-1 upset victory in the 2009 Derby, will be at the side of the New
Mexico-based star.
The Kentucky Derby champions, who rank among the most
popular winners of the great race during its past 25 years, will visit the
Churchill Downs paddock during Thursday’s 5TH race, which has a scheduled post
time of 2:47 p.m. (EDT). They are expected to arrive in the
paddock at 2:20 p.m. and will depart after the conclusion of the race.
Both Derby winners will be available earlier in the day at
the Kentucky Derby Museum for photo-ops from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the back
garden. Fans will be invited to walk by the horses’ stalls for photos, and
Knowlton and Santos will be in the museum’s barn area to greet fans and sign
autographs (a gift shop purchase is required for signatures).
“Mine That Bird is the first Derby winner housed on our
property at the museum and we are thrilled to showcase two winners at the same
time during this peak day of Derby week,” said Lynn Ashton, executive director
of the Kentucky Derby Museum. “It’s a rare opportunity in life to get close to
one Kentucky Derby winner — much less two — and offering this lifetime
experience for fans is a treat for the Museum.”
“The Kentucky Derby is all about pursuing — and achieving —
a dream, and these two champions embody the dream of winning America’s greatest
race as much as any Derby winners in memory,” said Kevin Flanery, president of
Churchill Downs Racetrack. “Each holds a special place in Derby lore and we
appreciate the desire of their owners to share their beloved stars as we prepare
to add another name to the elite roster of Kentucky Derby winners in Saturday’s
139th Derby.”
Funny Cide made Kentucky Derby history as the New York-bred
trained by Barclay Tagg knocked off favored Empire Maker to become the first
gelding since 1929 to earn Derby roses. He went on to win the Preakness,
the second jewel of racing’s Triple Crown, by 9 3/4 lengths before he finished
third in a rematch with the victorious Empire Maker in the Belmont Stakes, the
Crown’s final jewel. The son of Distorted Humor was named the champion
three-year-old of 2003 and won 11 of 38 races and earned $3,529,412 during his
six years on the track.
Mine That Bird, owned by Double Eagle Ranch and Buena
Suerte Equine, stunned onlookers at Churchill Downs when the 50-1 long shot
rallied from last in a field of 19 under jockey Calvin Borel to score a 6 3/4-length victory in the 2009 Derby. The triumph by the diminutive gelding was the
second-largest upset in the 138-year history of the Derby and he followed that
surprising win with a strong runner-up finish to Kentucky Oaks victress and
eventual Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra and a third-place run behind Summer
Bird in the Belmont Stakes. Mine That Bird won five of 18 starts and amassed
career earnings of $2,228,637 during his three years of racing that included a
Sovereign Award as Canada’s champion two-year-old.
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