Funny How after her Broadway triumph Feb. 12 (Chelsea Durand)
NYRA Press Office
OZONE PARK, N.Y.— Newly minted stakes victress Funny How, winner of Sunday’s $100,000 Broadway at Aqueduct Racetrack, has been doing anything but clowning around with a win streak of five straight races.
The 4-year-old New York-bred daughter of Overanalyze could look to carry that momentum into the Grade 3, $150,000 Distaff Handicap on April 7 at the Big A, according to co-owner Matt Cutair, the proprietor of Cutair Racing as well as one of three founders of Funny How’s co-owner Adelphi Racing Club.
Cutair said the Distaff’s spacing as well as its seven-furlong distance make it an appealing target for their rising star, who is trained by Ray Handal.
“She loves Aqueduct. She’s won five at the track, so we definitely want to try to get another start in before Belmont,” said Cutair. “That race is seven furlongs, which is the same distance as the Broadway, and the spacing works really well for her after that big effort. Ray is pretty committed to wanting to do that so that’s what we’ll probably wind up doing.”
Funny How began her hot streak in her Big A debut, breaking her maiden going six furlongs against open company in September over next-out winners Arrogant Lady and Kitten’s Appeal. She defeated fellow New York-breds in her following two efforts before stretching out to seven furlongs against open allowance company on January 7.
Despite a slow break, Funny How handled her stakes debut with vigor, making a five-wide bid in upper stretch to collar pacesetter November Rein and stride away to a 4 1/4-length conquest under Katie Davis. The win garnered a career-best 86 Beyer Speed Figure.
“She’s a special filly. You don’t win five in a row and climb up the class ladder like that often, so it adds to the experience,” Cutair said. “We had high expectations for her on Sunday, but we knew it would be a big step up in class so for her. To win the race was obviously thrilling and for her to do it the way that she did with the bad break was special. Katie gave her an awesome ride.”
Cutair said the Distaff is the preferred target, but the team will keep the open company $100,000 Correction on March 11 going six furlongs and the $100,000 Biogio’s Rose for New York-bred fillies and mares going a one-turn mile the following day under consideration.
“We’ll look at those two races, but with her going as well as she is right now and wanting to stay at the same distance, the Grade 3 makes the most sense,” Cutair said.
The Broadway was a tall ask for Funny How, who defeated graded-stakes placed Betsy Blue and multiple New York-bred Champion Bank Sting in the event.
“I really felt she would run her race. The question was if she was good enough because she was facing far superior horses than she would have faced before,” Cutair said. “I thought she would run well and I thought she would try as hard as she could. The first few jumps out of the gate I was worried, but from that point forward she seemed to be travelling comfortably and taking Katie along.”
Cutair is the standalone owner of Cutair Racing, but operates Adelphi Racing Club alongside managing partner Jordan Zotts and Brian Hahn. He described Adelphi Racing Club as, “an awesome group of people that are in it for the right reasons.”
“We try to make it about the experience and try to ensure that the people getting involved are getting involved for the same reason we’re in it for,” Cutair explained. “I’ve been in partnerships as a partner and success on the track does matter a ton, but who you’re partnered with, the experience and how everyone gets along is the important part at the end of the day.”
Bred in the Empire State by Hibiscus Stables, Funny How is out of the Distorted Humor mare Heavenly Humor, who also produced 2020 New York-bred Champion Sprinter Funny Guy. She was purchased for $120,000 at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Eastern Fall Yearling Sale by Joe Migliore.
“He loved the filly at the sale and I think that’s why he called me about her,” Cutair said of her notable pedigree. “At that point, we were trying to focus on buying fillies with some pedigree and we always try to support the New York program so she checked those boxes. He loved her physically and she was the only one we bought at that sale. She sold pretty early and we were lucky to get her. It was as stress free a sale as you can get.”
Cutair went on to sing praises on behalf of Handal.
“Since I’ve started owning horses on my own, Ray was the first trainer I worked with,” Cutair said. “He’s always been the trainer we utilize the most. He’s a young guy, he’s ambitious and works really hard. The team there is great and he checks all the boxes for me and for trying to breed a partner experience. He does a good job of welcoming people into the barn.”
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