Funny Proposition Should Set Pace in Fleur de Lis

John Oxley’s Funny Proposition will break from the rail in Saturday’s $175,000-added Fleur de Lis Handicap Presented by Etihad Airways (GII) and may go right to the front under Kentucky Derby-winning jockey Joel Rosario.

 

“I had a hard time thinking we weren’t going to be on the lead before drawing the rail,” said Norman Casse, assistant to his father, Mark. “Now I really can’t imagine we won’t be on the lead.”

 

Funny Proposition, who is a perfect 3-for-3 on the main track at Churchill Downs, enters the Fleur de Lis off a three-length victory in a one-mile allowance/optional-claiming race beneath the Twin Spires on May 17.

 

“When they come out of a race like that, you hope they come out of it well and show they have the same level of energy,” Casse said. “She came back well and had a really nice half-mile work and then her five-eighths work last week (1:00.40 on June 8) was tremendous. It looks like she’s ready to run another big race.”

 

Funny Proposition, a 4-year-old dark bay or brown daughter of Medaglia d’Oro, will be making her ninth career start in the Fleur de Lis.

 

“She’s never been able to run consistently like you would need a stakes horse to do,” Casse said. “She’s had some little hiccups along the way. This will be the first time we’ll have her race fit and we’re hopefully going to see her very best Saturday.”

 

The Fleur de Lis kicks off an all-stakes Pick 4 and will go as Race 6 at 8:30 p.m.