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Tuesday, Jun 03, 2003
funny cide up
"The plot would run like this: old high school buddies buy horse on cheap (although this is a relative term in racing circles), engage trainer who hasn't won a major title in more than 30 years, and a Chilean-born jockey who has struggled to overcome his own demons: a cocaine habit in the 1980s, horrific injuries and career-destroying weight gain, in the 90s.
Against all odds - 14-1 going into the Kentucky Derby - they win, only to see triumph tinged with heartache. One of the owners, Gus Williams, is cruelly mocked for affronting the Kentucky blue bloods by wearing a yellow plaid sports jacket with matching yellow trousers. The jockey, Jose Santos, is accused of using an electric buzzer in his whip hand after a strange blur is spotted in the finish-line photo. The Funny Cide team is devastated - it's the old guard of the racing world fighting to keep control. The jockey is quickly cleared of all irregularities, and goes on to vindication by romping home in the next leg of the Triple Crown by 9 3/4 lengths, a historic margin."