Funny Cide headed to Kentucky Horse Park

Kentucky Derby (G1) and Preakness Stakes (G1) winner Funny Cide will be the newest resident of the Kentucky Horse Park on December 5. Since his retirement as a race horse in 2007, the eight-year-old Distorted Humor gelding has worked as trainer Barclay Tagg’s stable pony. “The rigors of racing and training for several years have started to cause him mild discomfort recently as he continued working on a regular basis as my stable pony,” Tagg said. “So now the time has come, as he is turning nine years old, to really retire.” 

Funny Cide will join another Kentucky Derby winner, Alysheba, who came to the park in October. 

Quote Of The Day - Alysheba Returns

“We are grateful that King Abdullah entrusted one of his favorite horses to the care of the Kentucky Horse Park as stewards of his gift to the people of the United States. “Throughout history, the horse has transcended nations and brought cultures together. Alysheba is a symbol of good will between people and nations. He will be appreciated and cherished by the nearly one-million guests who visit the Kentucky Horse Park each year and by racing fans across the country for many years to come.”
-John Nicholson, the Horse Park’s executive director

Alysheba, the 1988 Horse of the Year and champion older horse, was welcomed back to Kentucky on Friday by an enthusiastic crowd that gathered at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington to see the oldest living Kentucky Derby (G1) winner. Kentucky-bred Alysheba was sent to the Horse Park as a gift to the American people from Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah. After spending the first ten years of his stud career at William S. Farish’s Lane’s End in Versailles,
Kentucky, Alysheba was purchased in February 2000 by Saudi Arabian Prince Miteb bin Abdullah and was sent to stand at the prince’s Janadriyah Stud Farm on the outskirts of the capital city of Riyadh.

John Henry Quote

“Somebody just called and said, ‘I’m going to make a trip from
Cincinnati. Can you make sure he’s there?’ We’ll, no, we can’t
guarantee he’s going to be here tomorrow. We just don’t know
at this point.”

Cathy Roby, barn manager of the Kentucky Horse Park’s Barn
of Champions, where two-time Horse of the Year John Henry resides.
The Ole Bob Bowers gelding, who is 32 years old, the equivalent
to 110 human years, is undergoing therapy for dehydration
and has lost a noticeable amount of weight

John Henry

At age 32, John Henry is in the best health that he has been in the previous few years. He was always a disagreeable old horse, hard to catch and give his medication to. His caretakers at the Kentucky Horse Park were at the point that they thought each day could be his last. His advanced age and Cushings Disease were really taking a toll on his body condition. In trying to figure out a way to get John Henry to exercise more, one of his caretakers decided to walk him through the park. After the first few weeks they noticed a dramatic difference to his attitude and condition. He also became more agreeable. Now they give him his head and let him walk wherever he wants. The park visitors can walk right up to him and he appears to basque in the limelight that he knows he deserves. Here's to many more healthy years to an old champion with a new lease on life.