D'Funnybone Tops Withers

With four Grade 2 wins on conventional dirt, D Funnybone has been one serious racehorse since arriving in trainer Rick Dutrow, Jr.s barn.

Last summer, the son of Dwildcat won the 6 ½-furlong Saratoga Special and the seven-furlong Futurity at Belmont Park by a combined margin of more than 15 lengths; this year, D Funnybone quickly established himself as a top 3-year-old sprinter with eye-catching victories at Gulfstream Park in the Hutcheson and Swale, both at seven furlongs.

Saturday, D Funnybone looks to make it five of six in graded stakes company as he stretches out to a mile and takes on five other sophomores in the 131^st running of the Grade 3, $150,000 Withers around one turn at Aqueduct Racetrack. The Big As 81-day spring meet concludes Sunday and racing returns to beautiful Belmont Park on Friday, April 30.

I havent gotten anything but good reports on Funnybone since he left Florida , said Dutrow, who plans on keeping D Funnybone in races around one turn. (The colts only off-the-board outing came when he finished last in the Grade 1 Breeders Cup Juvenile at 1 1/16^th miles over an artificial surface).

The plan is the Withers, the seven-eighths race on Belmont Stakes Day (Grade 2 Woody Stephens) and the one at Saratoga (Grade 1 Kings Bishop, August 28), said Dutrow, who will also saddle recent maiden winner Spangled Star, a supplemental entry, in the Withers. That would be an unbelievable year.

Hall of Fame jockey Edgar Prado will ride D Funnybone, the 1-2 morning line choice who breaks from post position 2, while Cornelio Velasquez is aboard 20-1 Spangled Star, who drew post position 5.

Back for a third shot at D Funnybone is the Todd Pletcher-trained Ibboyee, who was third, beaten two lengths, in the Hutcheson and second, beaten 1 ¼ lengths, in the Swale. The New York-bred son of Medallist, who has hit the board in all eight of his career starts, closed out his juvenile campaign with a 2 ½-length victory in the Damon Runyon over Aqueducts inner track.

John Velazquez has the mount on Ibboyee, who drew post position 6 and was listed as the 5-2 second choice on the morning line.

The Gary Contessa-trained Castaneda has won three straight at Aqueduct, all at six furlongs, including a front-running victory in the Fred Cappy Capossela on March 6. A gelded son of Yonaguska, Castaneda drew post position 3 and will be ridden by Jorge Chavez as the 10-1 choice on the morning line.

For sure, I will be on the lead, said Contessa.

Returning from Philadelphia for the Withers is Afleet Again, who in his three trips to the Big A has emerged with a fifth in the Count Fleet, a second in the Whirlaway and a 10^th place showing behind Awesome Act in the Grade 3 Gotham. The Afleet Alex colt, 20-1, will be ridden by Abel Mariano from post position 4.

Rounding out the field is another supplemental entry, Most Happy Fella, who set the early pace in the Grade 1 Wood Memorial. Eibar Coa rides Most Happy Fella, 12-1, from the rail.

The field for the Grade 3, $150,000 Withers: