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Funny Cide
Describes how an unheralded New York horse--trained by a journeyman, ridden by a hard-luck jockey, and owned by a tiny stable founded by a group of high-school buddies from Sackets Harbor--beat the champions and their multimillionaire owners to sweep to the brink of the Triple Crown. 250,000 first printing.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published April 22, 2004
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1001 people want to read
About the author
Sally Jenkins
48 books39 followersSally Jenkins is an American sports columnist and feature writer for The Washington Post, and author. She was previously a senior writer for Sports Illustrated. She has won the AP Sports Columnist of the Year Award five times, received the National Press Foundation 2017 chairman citation, and was a finalist for the 2020 Pulitzer Prize. She is the author of a dozen books. Jenkins is noted for her writing on Pat Summitt, Joe Paterno, Lance Armstrong, and the United States Center for SafeSport.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
August 31, 2019
Book on CD read by Dan Cashman
3.5***
In 2003 an unlikely horse, from an unlikely stable owned by a group of high-school buddies won the Kentucky Derby and captured the hearts of America. This is his story.
I like horse racing, though I admit that I watch few races other than the Triple Crown ones. I’ve read more than a few biographies of jockeys and of famous horses. I was as caught up as anyone in Funny Cide’s Triple Crown saga, and as broken hearted when he was beat during that final leg at the Belmont.
Jenkins does a good job of weaving together the various stories behind the horse: the original breeder, the owners who carefully and gently broke him to saddle, the trainer who recognized his potential, the group of high-school friends who wanted a fun way to still be a “team” despite their varied family and work responsibilities, and the jockey who immediately felt the potential in this unlikely mount.
I particularly liked the way she wrote the build-up to the Derby and Funny Cide’s amazing win there. I felt the excitement all over again. The only thing missing was a mint julep.
Dan Cashman does a fine job narrating the audio. He sets a good pace and his narration of the race scenes was top notch.
3.5***
In 2003 an unlikely horse, from an unlikely stable owned by a group of high-school buddies won the Kentucky Derby and captured the hearts of America. This is his story.
I like horse racing, though I admit that I watch few races other than the Triple Crown ones. I’ve read more than a few biographies of jockeys and of famous horses. I was as caught up as anyone in Funny Cide’s Triple Crown saga, and as broken hearted when he was beat during that final leg at the Belmont.
Jenkins does a good job of weaving together the various stories behind the horse: the original breeder, the owners who carefully and gently broke him to saddle, the trainer who recognized his potential, the group of high-school friends who wanted a fun way to still be a “team” despite their varied family and work responsibilities, and the jockey who immediately felt the potential in this unlikely mount.
I particularly liked the way she wrote the build-up to the Derby and Funny Cide’s amazing win there. I felt the excitement all over again. The only thing missing was a mint julep.
Dan Cashman does a fine job narrating the audio. He sets a good pace and his narration of the race scenes was top notch.
July 22, 2019
I admit when I found this book on my local library I had never heard of Funny Cide before. But I love reading about horses and the racehorse on the spine of the book caught my eye, so of course I grabbed it and checked it out..and I started to read it pretty quickly even though I had other books that were due sooner.. I've had the opportunity to work with horses since January so it's always interesting to read true stories about horses, to see what I can learn from the experts. And the trainer of Funny Cide is an expert.
I admit some of the stuff in here amazed me. I didn't know you could get a horse to stand in buckets of water, especially water that has Epson salt in it! I suppose you would life the horse's hoof up as if to clean it and then slip the bucket in place?? Would have to be a big bucket! There were a lot of other fascinating horse tibbits in here, too, like the reaccuring mucus in the throat that Funny Cide kept getting...and the unusual cure! Or just the idea that you could leave a horse perfectly healthy for the night but come back to find it had crippled itself in the stall the next morning. I admit I don't understand how that could happen...or why. The horses I work with, their not in stalls.
Reading about Funny Cide and how he went after the Triple Crown was very exciting! The scene in the Kentucky Derby was the most exciting thing I read in a long, long time! The scene from the Kentucky Derby reminded me of the horse race from The Black Stallion, complete with the rearing horse before the race! It's like fiction became reality!
I thought there was a bit too much in here about all of the various people, especially near the beginning of the book. I know some of it is necessary but I think there was a bit too much.
I had no idea a person could win all of that money by betting on horse races or that there were different odds. And I enjoyed reading about all of the people that directly worked with horses.
I admit some of the stuff in here amazed me. I didn't know you could get a horse to stand in buckets of water, especially water that has Epson salt in it! I suppose you would life the horse's hoof up as if to clean it and then slip the bucket in place?? Would have to be a big bucket! There were a lot of other fascinating horse tibbits in here, too, like the reaccuring mucus in the throat that Funny Cide kept getting...and the unusual cure! Or just the idea that you could leave a horse perfectly healthy for the night but come back to find it had crippled itself in the stall the next morning. I admit I don't understand how that could happen...or why. The horses I work with, their not in stalls.
Reading about Funny Cide and how he went after the Triple Crown was very exciting! The scene in the Kentucky Derby was the most exciting thing I read in a long, long time! The scene from the Kentucky Derby reminded me of the horse race from The Black Stallion, complete with the rearing horse before the race! It's like fiction became reality!
I thought there was a bit too much in here about all of the various people, especially near the beginning of the book. I know some of it is necessary but I think there was a bit too much.
I had no idea a person could win all of that money by betting on horse races or that there were different odds. And I enjoyed reading about all of the people that directly worked with horses.
August 7, 2014
Not gonna lie, this book isn't for everyone. You probably need to have at least some interest in horse racing if you're going to read it, or it's just going to be a slog. For me though, I absolutely loved this book. I've loved horses and horse racing nearly my whole life, and I can remember screaming at the top of my lungs at the TV screen when Funny Cide was running the Belmont (I also remember the devastating heartbreak I felt afterward).
There are slow parts in the book - most of them happen before Funny Cide really comes into the story. But overall, I loved this book. I really, really loved it.
There are slow parts in the book - most of them happen before Funny Cide really comes into the story. But overall, I loved this book. I really, really loved it.
October 6, 2017
So many characters to meet, I couldn't keep track except for a couple key ones. This book got me interested in the sport of horse racing, something I had never previously given much thought, and a lot of respect for Triple Crown winners. Go Sakatoga Stable - for sharing the joy of your success with so many others (the masses) in a way that is rare. The writing was fine, the 4th star was for the characters and Funny Cide himself. Keep doing things the way you think is the right way and stick to that!
March 17, 2022
Funny Cide was foaled in 2000. His sire is Distorted Humor, his dam is Belle's Good Cide. It is easy to see where his name was derived from. He was purchased for $22,000. He was then purchased by Sackatoga Stable, which was owned by ten friends from New York, for $75,000. He was trained by Barclay Tagg, a former steeplechase jockey. Hall of Fame jockey, Jose Santos, was his regular jockey. He raced in the 2003 Kentucky Derby against the famous Empire Maker, where he came in first. There was some controversy after the race, as Santos appeared to have a buzzer used to shock horses in his hand in a picture. The picture was compared to other pictures and they determined it was just a shadow from the green silks of Empire Maker's jockey. Funny Cide went on to race in the Preakness Stakes, where he came in first. He raced the Belmont Stakes as well, coming in third to Empire Maker. He was voted Horse Of The Year two times, and retired with eleven wins from thirty eight starts and over three million in earnings. He was put to work as a stable pony, taking racehorses to the track and training with them. He eventually retired to the Kentucky Horse Park, where he was given Cigar's stall. He has no issue, as he was gelded before his racing career due to having one undescended testicle.
I remember seeing him run against Empire Maker, who was actually my favorite in the races. He was beautiful. I hope that he is still at the Kentucky Horse Park when I visit this fall and that I get to see him. I know that he was shipped to the track with American Pharoah when he won the Triple Crown, so that was a neat little side line to his story. I loved reading about him and seeing how he was trained. This is a good book for fans of horse racing.
I remember seeing him run against Empire Maker, who was actually my favorite in the races. He was beautiful. I hope that he is still at the Kentucky Horse Park when I visit this fall and that I get to see him. I know that he was shipped to the track with American Pharoah when he won the Triple Crown, so that was a neat little side line to his story. I loved reading about him and seeing how he was trained. This is a good book for fans of horse racing.
June 4, 2019
Yes, I'll admit it, I'm a sucker for a good horse story, ever since reading Black Beauty as a child, I've been hooked! I hasten to add that I don't bet on horses, don't watch horse races, certainly don't know much about them outside of my beloved Dick Francis books, but my heart is sometimes in the backstretch!
This book follows the pattern laid down by "Seabiscuit," laying out the intertwining paths of the horse, the trainer, the owners & the jockey, and how between them all, they wove the tapestry of a winner's trajectory. That's about where the resemblance ends. "The Funny Cide Team" with Sally Jenkins, do not come near the finesse of Laura Hillenbrand,"Seabiscuit's" author. What was a fresh approach with a novel subject has now become the predictable rehash of any unlikely outsider-horse-makes-good-story. The folks who owned and promoted Funny Cide may not have been millionaires, but they proved that they knew how to exploit their amazing horse luck! The Triple Crown would surely have given them a movie deal!
So, while not much suspense is involved (the races are a matter of the record books,) this book jogged along nicely until far too many people wanted to get their names in print. This did nothing but confuse the central narrative. My favorite of the the threads was the poignant one of the jockey and his sweet son.
This book follows the pattern laid down by "Seabiscuit," laying out the intertwining paths of the horse, the trainer, the owners & the jockey, and how between them all, they wove the tapestry of a winner's trajectory. That's about where the resemblance ends. "The Funny Cide Team" with Sally Jenkins, do not come near the finesse of Laura Hillenbrand,"Seabiscuit's" author. What was a fresh approach with a novel subject has now become the predictable rehash of any unlikely outsider-horse-makes-good-story. The folks who owned and promoted Funny Cide may not have been millionaires, but they proved that they knew how to exploit their amazing horse luck! The Triple Crown would surely have given them a movie deal!
So, while not much suspense is involved (the races are a matter of the record books,) this book jogged along nicely until far too many people wanted to get their names in print. This did nothing but confuse the central narrative. My favorite of the the threads was the poignant one of the jockey and his sweet son.
June 18, 2018
An entertaining look into the improbable triple crown journey of the unlikely NY bred gelding Funny Cide. and his band of small town upstate NY owners. At times focusing on the owners and their home town of Sackatoga, the author gets a bit lost. However the horse remains the focus, and the stories of Churchill Downs and the yellow school bus, and racing royalty's immediate, disappointed and short sighted reaction to Funny Cide's Kentucky Derby, is priceless, as is the reaction of their equally astonished owners and trainers. (Their hungry trainers!) Though the story does not have a Cinderella ending, the story itself is fairy tale enough, and ending in the rain of a packed Belmont Park (I was there that crazy day), the story didn't end there, as Funny Cide did win the heralded Jockey Club Gold Cup in 2004, and was still being applauded in the Belmont paddock in 2005 (I was there, and clapping).
November 8, 2017
Funny Cide won the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness in 2003. He was the first gelding and NY-bred horse to win. He was owned by a group of friends from Sackets Harbor, NY who arrived at the Derby in a yellow school bus. He was considered a 'people's horse' with a middle of the road thoroughbred pedigree and working men owners. The book provides background on the owners, trainer, and jockey and follows Funny Cide from the stable where he was born and the farm where he was broke to his purchase by Sackatoga Stables and his training for the Derby. It ends with a few races in 2004. It was an entertaining read and had a sort of local connection, Sackets Harbor not being far from where I live.
May 18, 2018
This was truly a Cinderella story of how a horse that didn't appear to be a great pick, became a favorite. The writign on the win of the Derby is great. This is a book to read and enjoy and believe in the power of misracles and common peole coming together for a great purpose.
May 28, 2018
Great sports story of a group of unlikely owners, trainer and jockey who win the 2003 Kentucky Derby and Preakness. Well told. Makes you want to go to the Derby and cheer for the underdog every time.
July 8, 2025
This book reminded about Seabiscuit's and Secretariat's amazing story and the people who really cared about these horses as members of their families, not just money makers to be disposed of at the end of their racing careers.
September 27, 2018
Great book for horse fans and non-horse fans alike! The story is very compelling for anyone who loves and underdog story.
March 20, 2019
Loved it. A feel good story with a nice ending.
May 31, 2019
That was good fun! Makes me want to get to the track
November 25, 2019
Enjoyable story that gives you some insight about the horse racing world.
August 5, 2020
Great story.
August 18, 2020
My second time reading this book. I love the story and it is well written. Gives me happy tears.
August 1, 2022
Super fun - great job on the characters and their backgrounds. Definitely worth reading!
December 26, 2025
Probably growing up in Saratoga County makes me biased but loved this book! What a story!
October 10, 2012
I enjoyed this "feel good" tale about a group of ordinary guys taking a chance, pooling their savings and buying a unknown gelding by the name of Funny Cide. Little did they know the adventure this horse would take them on in the days to come. It's a story not only about the horse but the humans that he touched. Funny and heartwarming!
Note: This was a book that I received from a member at
Bookcrossing.com
Note: This was a book that I received from a member at
Bookcrossing.com
September 10, 2008
Take that you oil-wealthy sheiks!
In the same spirit as Seabiscuit, Funny Cide is the story of a horse that had all the odds against him, but came close to being the first Triple Crown winner in 25 years. The common working man could relate to the trainer, the jockey, the owners and the horse: all were not considered “classic caliber” in the thoroughbred racing world. I mean the owners arrived for the Derby in a yellow school bus all tanked up on beer and Bloody Marys they’d been swigging on the ride over from the Galt house. Funny Cide was a New York bred gelding for god’s sake! I love being taken on an insider’s tour of the backstretch of the Derby and the Belmont and getting all those tidbits that make horseracing so quirky and fascinating. This is just a darn, swell, feel-good book!
In the same spirit as Seabiscuit, Funny Cide is the story of a horse that had all the odds against him, but came close to being the first Triple Crown winner in 25 years. The common working man could relate to the trainer, the jockey, the owners and the horse: all were not considered “classic caliber” in the thoroughbred racing world. I mean the owners arrived for the Derby in a yellow school bus all tanked up on beer and Bloody Marys they’d been swigging on the ride over from the Galt house. Funny Cide was a New York bred gelding for god’s sake! I love being taken on an insider’s tour of the backstretch of the Derby and the Belmont and getting all those tidbits that make horseracing so quirky and fascinating. This is just a darn, swell, feel-good book!
February 1, 2011
This book blew up out of nowhere, much like the horse whose story it was telling!
The title is cumbersome, but it's what grabbed my attention at the library.
The story is ANYTHING but cumbersome...
It's not sentimental drivel. It's not the fairy-tale stuff you might think of when you read a race horse story.
It's a story of how all the pieces fell together, with all the right people and all the right circumstances, with the right animal at the right time. An unlikely bunch of hard working guys who didn't have money to buy a race horse, bought a race horse. A trainer with no more chances, a jockey that was less than fabulous, a horse with no fancy pedigree....all ingredients. And a chance at the Triple Crown.
Read it.
You won't be sorry.
And if you're like me, you'll read it in two days, cheering at the end!
The title is cumbersome, but it's what grabbed my attention at the library.
The story is ANYTHING but cumbersome...
It's not sentimental drivel. It's not the fairy-tale stuff you might think of when you read a race horse story.
It's a story of how all the pieces fell together, with all the right people and all the right circumstances, with the right animal at the right time. An unlikely bunch of hard working guys who didn't have money to buy a race horse, bought a race horse. A trainer with no more chances, a jockey that was less than fabulous, a horse with no fancy pedigree....all ingredients. And a chance at the Triple Crown.
Read it.
You won't be sorry.
And if you're like me, you'll read it in two days, cheering at the end!
April 7, 2013
Not a fabulous read, but interesting enough to finish. I couldn't really get a handle on the personality of the horse, other than he liked to run. Sometimes described as patient, then mentioned as nipping everyone around him, then cooperating or not cooperating - the author is not clear. The reader does get a background of Funny Cide's younger years, and of the group of people who worked with him throughout his training. She does well by them, I think. I wish I'd have paid more attention to the Triple Crown in 2003 - this horse was the people's horse, and he won. That rarely happens, and he deserved his wins. Even if this book was not totally absorbing, I did learn a lot about a fine horse, a hard-working, hopeful group of owners and trainers, and a gifted rider. It was worth the read.
December 17, 2012
I was not sure that the author's attempt to create an "us against them" plot in this book was necessary. From what I read and saw during Funny Cide's moments of glory, the established trainers and jockeys were not "mean" to the owners of the horse. That one trainer was rude should not be grounds to condemn them all. However, there may have been things which happened "out of sight" which could have slanted the owners to encourage this approach. In any event, the training and running of Funny Cide was enjoyable to read about, and I was rooting for him to take the Triple Crown--in real life!
April 26, 2015
Again, my current local library's audio book selection is abysmal. Hell, the whole county is apparently barely literate. So this is one of the things that seemed partially interesting.
It ended up being a pretty good listen. The way the story was framed turned it into a lot more than just an underdog (underhorse?) tale. It went into the background of not only the horse, but the owners, jockey, trainers, and how the horse would end up with such a fan base. I wish it would have gone a bit more into what happened to Funny Cide after, but I guess I can always google.
It ended up being a pretty good listen. The way the story was framed turned it into a lot more than just an underdog (underhorse?) tale. It went into the background of not only the horse, but the owners, jockey, trainers, and how the horse would end up with such a fan base. I wish it would have gone a bit more into what happened to Funny Cide after, but I guess I can always google.
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June 30, 2016Even if you have no interest in horse racing or horses, this is a good read because Sally Jenkins writes so well and the story is really about middle class America showing up in the middle of the 1% and winning. Funny Cide is a thoroughbred with everything against him - a gelding (only stallions make the real money), bred in New York, small and owned by a bunch of high school classmates from a town no one has heard of. That he goes on to win the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness in 2003 is just a good story.
August 13, 2007
Provided a lot of background into the trainer, jockey, owners, and Funny Cide himself. I particularly found interest of the stories of Barclay and his family beagle (and being asked to give up his stalls for the Budweiser Clydesdales!), Funny Cide's mucous troubles, and the whole Sackets Harbor crew. Excellent biography, although I hope they update it to include his life through retirement and transition into becoming a lead pony.
January 16, 2008
I was very surprised at the book. I picked it up at a Walgreens in florida, just looking for something to read. I didn't expect it to hold my interest. I like the derby and all that surrounds it, but I thought it might be a little boring given the subject matter. Boy was I surprised! I couldn't put it down! It's really a great story. If you like to see the underdog come out on top, you'll love this story.
October 20, 2015
This was an enjoyable read. If you liked Seabiscut you'll like Funny Cide. They are very similar tales but 70 years apart. The big difference is the owners, Funny Cide's owners were a conglomeration of everyday joes. If I had one complaint it would be that the writing of the actual races lack the punch that Seabiscut had in describing the races.
November 9, 2008
It's a cute little book. If you enjoy horses and the racing industry, this is a nice insiders look. It starts out a little preachy and defensive of blue collar workers and Vietnam vets. Bear with it and when it gets to the horse - enjoy.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews