Funny Guy Not Kidding Around in General George

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Funny Guy Not Kidding Around in General George
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Photo: Coglianese Photos
Funny Guy wins the 2020 John Morrissey Handicap at Saratoga Race Course

His name evokes a smile, but Funny Guy is a serious racehorse, reflected in his 9-5 morning-line favoritism in the $250,000 General George Stakes (G3) at Laurel Park Feb. 20.

The son of Big Brown  is a five-time stakes winner vs. New York-breds, but has also performed well in open company, such as when he was second in the Vosburgh Stakes (G2) last fall at Belmont Park. Overall, he has a record six wins, six seconds, and $638,645 in earnings for owners Gatsas Stables, R. A. Hill Stable, and Swick Stable.

He faces graded winners Laki, Majestic Dunhill, and Share the Ride in Saturday's General George, part of a rescheduled Winter Sprintfest program that last week was postponed due to weather conditions in the Mid-Atlantic.

Also on the card is the $250,000 Runhappy Barbara Fritchie Stakes (G3) for females, another seven-furlong race like the General George, and four other stakes.

Funny Guy has been at Laurel since last week under the supervision of Tonja Terranova, wife and assistant to trainer John Terranova II. Though training has been intermittently interrupted by weather, John Terranova said Funny Guy was able to have a "strong gallop" the morning of Feb. 17.

"It's all good. We'll just do what we've got to do during the week," the trainer said. "I guess everyone else is in the same boat with the postponement. We'll just ride the wave."

Saturday's race will be only the second time Funny Guy has raced outside of New York. The first came in the 2019 Oklahoma Derby (G3) when he ran sixth behind Owendale.

Funny Guy's stakes wins have come at distances from 6 1/2 furlongs to 1 1/8 miles. He has two wins and three seconds in six career tries at the General George distance and is 2-for-3 on an off track. A second winter storm is scheduled to pass through the Laurel area Feb. 18-19.

"He's certainly doing well coming into this. We're just kind of like in this holding pattern, not much to do this week," Terranova said.

Hello Beautiful wins the What A Summer Stakes Saturday, January 16, 2021 at Laurel Park
Photo: Jerry Dzierwinski/Maryland Jockey Club
Hello Beautiful captures the What A Summer Stakes at Laurel Park

In the race before the General George, Hello Beautiful is the anticipated favorite in the Barbara Fritchie. The Brittany Russell trainee, owned by Madaket Stables, Albert Frassetto, Mark Parkinson, K-Mac Stables, and Magic City Stables, is 7-for-10 at Laurel and 3-for-4 at seven furlongs.

She is matched against opposition headed by Five Hellions Farm's Dontletsweetfoolya and Barry Schwartz's homebred filly Sharp Starr, both stakes winners.

Four other black-type events, each worth $100,000, precede the day's two graded races, including a pair of races for sophomores. Three-year-old males begin the stakes action in the third race, the Miracle Wood Stakes at a mile, a race in which Kenny Had a Notion and Maythehorsebwithu are rematched after a 1-2 finish in the Spectacular Bid Stakes Jan. 16 at Laurel.


Entries: Miracle Wood S.

Laurel Park, Saturday, February 20, 2021, Race 3

  • STK
  • 1m
  • Dirt
  • $100,000
  • 3 yo
  • 1:32 PM (local)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L
1 1Tiz Mandate (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Jevian Toledo 118 Damon R. Dilodovico 10/1
2 2Newyearsblockparty (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Charlie Marquez 118 Anthony Pecoraro 12/1
3 3The King Cheek (NY) UNKNOWN 118 Jamie Ness 8/1
4 4Maythehorsebwithu (PA) Sheldon Russell 118 Brittany T. Russell 2/1
5 5Kenny Had a Notion (VA) Jorge Ruiz 118 Dale Capuano 5/2
6 6Silent Service (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Julian Pimentel 118 Michael J. Trombetta 8/1
7 7Subsidize (KY) Victor R. Carrasco 118 Chad C. Brown 3/1


Entries: John B. Campbell S.

Laurel Park, Saturday, February 20, 2021, Race 4

  • STK
  • About 1 1/16m
  • Dirt
  • $100,000
  • 4 yo's & up
  • 2:04 PM (local)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L
1 1Zabracadabra (WA) UNKNOWN 120 Gary Capuano 8/1
2 2Deal Driven (OK)Keeneland Sales Graduate Johan Rosado 120 Robert Mosco 15/1
3 3Cordmaker (MD) Victor R. Carrasco 120 Rodney Jenkins 3/1
4 4Forewarned (OH)Keeneland Sales Graduate Roimes Chirinos 122 Uriah St. Lewis 10/1
5 5Awesome D J (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Horacio Karamanos 120 Jose Corrales 15/1
6 6Dixie Drawl (SC) Jorge Ruiz 120 Dale Capuano 9/2
7 7Galerio (MD) Xavier Perez 120 Dale Bennett 6/1
8 8Bankit (NY) Sheldon Russell 120 Steven M. Asmussen 9/5


Entries: Nellie Morse S.

Laurel Park, Saturday, February 20, 2021, Race 5

  • STK
  • About 1 1/16m
  • Dirt
  • $100,000
  • 4 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
  • 2:37 PM (local)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L
1 1Landing Zone (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Angel Cruz 120 Claudio A. Gonzalez 4/1
2 2Daphne Moon (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Victor R. Carrasco 120 Jeremiah C. Englehart 15/1
3 3Gracetown (KY) Sheldon Russell 120 Jeremiah O'Dwyer 20/1
4 4Lucky Move (NY) Johan Rosado 124 Juan Carlos Guerrero 9/2
5 5Flashndynamite (FL) J. D. Acosta 120 Michael M. Moore 8/1
6 6Pat's No Fool (NY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Jevian Toledo 120 Gary Capuano 30/1
7 7Wicked Awesome (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Horacio Karamanos 122 A. Ferris Allen, III 9/2
8 8Artful Splatter (MD) Carol Cedeno 120 Kieron Magee 20/1
9 9Lucky Stride (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Julian Pimentel 120 Michael J. Trombetta 2/1
10 10Dreamer's Moon (PA) Alex Cintron 120 Claudio A. Gonzalez 12/1


Entries: Wide Country S.

Laurel Park, Saturday, February 20, 2021, Race 6

  • STK
  • 7f
  • Dirt
  • $100,000
  • 3 yo Fillies
  • 3:12 PM (local)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L
1 1My My Girl (MD)Keeneland Sales Graduate Angel Cruz 118 Donald H. Barr 15/1
2 2Salt Plage (KY) Horacio Karamanos 118 Linda Rice 9/2
3 3Fraudulent Charge (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Johan Rosado 118 Lacey Gaudet 6/1
4 4Miss Leslie (KY) Roimes Chirinos 122 Claudio A. Gonzalez 8/1
5 5Street Lute (MD) Xavier Perez 122 John J. Robb 2/1
6 6Buckey's Charm (MD)Keeneland Sales Graduate Feargal Lynch 118 Hamilton A. Smith 10/1
7 7Little Huntress (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Sheldon Russell 118 Brittany T. Russell 3/1
8 8Whiskey and Rye (KY) Jorge Ruiz 118 Hamilton A. Smith 20/1
9 9Lady Clau (KY) Kevin Gomez 118 Rodolfo Sanchez-Salomon 30/1


Entries: Runhappy Barbara Fritchie S. (G3)

Laurel Park, Saturday, February 20, 2021, Race 7

  • Grade III
  • 7f
  • Dirt
  • $250,000
  • 4 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
  • 3:46 PM (local)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L
1 1Sharp Starr (NY) Alex Cintron 120 Horacio DePaz 3/1
2 2Club Car (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Victor R. Carrasco 120 Ben Colebrook 6/1
3 3Dontletsweetfoolya (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Jevian Toledo 120 Lacey Gaudet 7/2
4 4Estilo Talentoso (KY) Alexander Crispin 120 Juan Arriagada 10/1
5 5Suggestive Honor (ARG) Jorge Ruiz 120 Marco P. Salazar 50/1
6 6Hibiscus Punch (KY) Horacio Karamanos 120 Justin J. Nixon 12/1
7 7Needs Supervision (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Feargal Lynch 120 Jeremiah O'Dwyer 12/1
8 8Hello Beautiful (MD) Sheldon Russell 120 Brittany T. Russell 8/5


Entries: General George S. (G3)

Laurel Park, Saturday, February 20, 2021, Race 8

  • Grade III
  • 7f
  • Dirt
  • $250,000
  • 4 yo's & up
  • 4:19 PM (local)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L
1 1Laki (MD) Horacio Karamanos 122 Damon R. Dilodovico 9/2
2 2Funny Guy (NY) Sheldon Russell 120 John P. Terranova II 9/5
3 3Lebda (KY) Alex Cintron 120 Claudio A. Gonzalez 8/1
4 4Majestic Dunhill (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Feargal Lynch 120 George Weaver 10/1
5 5Fortunate Friends (FL) Jevian Toledo 120 Shaun C. Morrow 20/1
6 6Share the Ride (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Victor R. Carrasco 120 Miguel Penaloza 3/1
7 7Informative (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Roimes Chirinos 120 Uriah St. Lewis 30/1
8 8Arthur's Hope (NY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Alcibiades C. Cortez 120 Marco P. Salazar 20/1
9 9Chilly in Charge (PA) J. D. Acosta 120 Miguel Vera 12/1
10 10Tattooed (MD) Angel Cruz 120 Timothy L. Keefe 15/1