Paul Pompa, Jr.’s
4-year-old colt D’Funnybone began his career at Calder Casino & Race Course
as a 2-year-old in 2009, winning his debut by 7 ¼ lengths and finishing second
by a half-length in the $100,000 Frank Gomez Memorial Stakes for breeder Harold
Plumley and trainer Joe Calascibetta, and was sold privately to Pompa and sent
to New York to trainer Rick Dutrow.
D’Funnybone went on
to win five Graded stakes in New York and Gulfstream Park later that season and
early in 2010 as a 3-year-old, but went 0-for-4 this year in New York. The
chestnut son of D’wildcat has been sent back to Calder and placed with trainer
Marty Wolfson and is prominent among the nominees for the $75,000 Kenny Noe,
Jr. Handicap to be run at 6 ½ furlongs here next Saturday.
D’Funnybone became a
major player on the national scene as a 2-year-old winning the Saratoga Special
(G2) by 10 ½ lengths and The Futurity (G2) at Belmont Park after leaving Calder
before checking in last of 13 in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) that fall on
the synthetic track at Santa Anita.
D’Funnybone swept the
Hutcheson Stakes (G2) and Swale Stakes (G2) at Gulfstream Park early in 2010
and added the Woody Stephens Stakes (G2) at Belmont Park on Belmont Day in
early June, his last victory. He ran one good race this year finishing second
to Trappe Shot in the Waldoboro Stakes at Belmont in May, but faded to last in
the James Marvin Stakes at Saratoga on July 22 in his last appearance.
Likely to line-up in
the Kenny Noe, Jr. with good local recent form are Bluestone Thoroughbreds’
4-year-old gelding Black Diamond Cat and Rontos Racing Stable’s 3-year-old
gelding Bull Dozer.
Black Diamond Cat is
a son of Wildcat Heir trained by Larry Bates and won three straight at the
meet, including two stakes, and finished a game second last out to Eclipse
champion sprinter Big Drama in the Whippleton overnight stakes on Sept. 4.
Bull Dozer is a son
of Trippi trained by Jose Garoffalo and was very impressive winning a ‘two
other than’ allowance last out on Sept. 23 by 8 ½ lengths, his third victory
from his last four starts, punctuated by a good third behind Indiano in the
Eillo overnight stakes on Sept. 6.
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