# Kentucky Horse Park Unveils Statue Honoring 'Gutsy Gelding' Funny Cide **Published:** 2026-03-20T15:39:52.000Z **Source:** [Kentucky Horse Park](https://kyhorsepark.com/kentucky-horse-park-to-dedicate-statue-honoring-funny-cide/) **AI-generated:** yes (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) **Canonical:** https://feeds.lexingtonky.news/article/kentucky-horse-park-unveils-statue-honoring-gutsy-gelding-funny-cide LEXINGTON, Ky. — [The Kentucky Horse Park dedicated a statue honoring Funny Cide](https://kyhorsepark.com/kentucky-horse-park-to-dedicate-statue-honoring-funny-cide/), the 2003 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner, on April 30, cementing the legacy of a horse that captured the hearts of racing fans across the nation. The bronze sculpture, created by equine artist Shelley Hunter, now stands at the park's iconic Hall of Champions barn, where [Funny Cide spent his retirement until his death in 2023 at age 23](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Funny_Cide). The ceremony drew prominent figures from the horse racing world, including Jack Knowlton of Sackatoga Stable and Hall of Champions Manager Rob Willis. Funny Cide became a folk hero in thoroughbred racing by becoming [the first New York-bred gelding to win the Kentucky Derby](https://kyhorsepark.com/memorial-walk-of-champions/funny-cide/) at odds of nearly 13-1. Two weeks later, he dominated the Preakness by over nine lengths, igniting hopes for a Triple Crown victory. However, the horse finished third in the rain-soaked Belmont Stakes, falling just short of racing immortality. What set Funny Cide apart was his accessibility to fans. [Knowlton recalled that Sackatoga Stable needed two school buses for the Preakness and four for the Belmont Stakes](https://www.paulickreport.com/news/triple-crown/celebrity-funny-cide-honored-with-memorial-statue-at-kentucky-horse-park), as the modest partnership of friends from Sackets Harbor, New York, became a symbol of the everyday fan's place in the sport. Jockey Jose Santos, who rode Funny Cide to victory in both the Derby and Preakness, attended the statue dedication. "Funny Cide is gonna be in my heart forever," Santos said, "and now he's going to be for the people forever at the park." The statue fundraising effort was spearheaded by Knowlton, who hosted a fundraiser at Siro's restaurant in Saratoga Springs that raised $12,500, with additional support from events at Finger Lakes Gaming & Racetrack and the Kentucky Horse Park itself. ## Sources - [Kentucky Horse Park](https://kyhorsepark.com/kentucky-horse-park-to-dedicate-statue-honoring-funny-cide/) - [BloodHorse article on the statue unveiling](https://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/290712/ky-horse-park-to-unveil-funny-cide-statue-april-30) - [Paulick Report coverage of the statue dedication ceremony](https://www.paulickreport.com/news/triple-crown/celebrity-funny-cide-honored-with-memorial-statue-at-kentucky-horse-park) --- This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from Kentucky Horse Park, enriched with 2 web searches. The original source is available at https://kyhorsepark.com/kentucky-horse-park-to-dedicate-statue-honoring-funny-cide/.