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Funny Proposition has the last laugh in Fleur de Lis
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| Funny Proposition easily defeated the struggling Royal Delta (rail) in Saturday's Fleur de Lis
(Wendy Wooley/EquiSport Photos) |
John C. Oxley's Funny Proposition was well beaten in her two prior tries
against stakes company before Saturday's Grade 2, $186,375
Fleur
de Lis Handicap, but that didn't stop the Medaglia d'Oro miss from wiring
the Churchill Downs' contest by five lengths over dual champion Royal Delta.
With jockey Joel Rosario the architect of an effortless ride, Funny
Proposition took command when the gates opened and proceeded to set splits of
:23 1/5, :46 4/5 and 1:11 3/5 on the backstretch. Wine Princess was keeping
Royal Delta company in the second flight, with Ice Cream Silence and She's All
In bringing up the rear.
Funny Proposition still held a good margin over Wine Princess and Royal Delta
when swinging four wide around the second turn, and had no trouble turning back
the latter's lackluster rally in the lane to earn her first stakes victory.
Sent off the 5-1 third choice, Funny Proposition paid $13.40 and $4.20 after
show wagering was canceled.
Defending champion Royal Delta never seemed interested from the start, but
still managed to get second by three parts of a length over She's All In. Ice
Cream Silence was just nosed out of the show spot and Wine Princess tired to
last on the wire.
The lightly raced Funny Proposition improved her mark to 9-4-0-2 and doubled
her lifetime earnings to $230,298 with the Fleur de Lis win. The Mark Casse
pupil actually began her career under the Twin Spires, taking her maiden debut
in July 2011, but wouldn't be seen again until showing up for Keeneland's spring
2012 meet. She finished third in an allowance on that occasion before returning
to Churchill, and the winner's circle, next out.
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The dark bay lass tried stakes company for the first time on the Stephen
Foster undercard last year in the Regret, but could do no better than eighth in
that Grade 3 contest. Her connections sent her to Saratoga for a shot in the
Coaching Club American Oaks, but she once again was well-beaten on the wire.
Funny Proposition was given the rest of the year off, but didn't offer much
encouragement in her return in mid-February at Gulfstream Park when finishing
sixth against optional claiming rivals. She finally showed some of her early
spark at Keeneland, running third against optional claimers on April 14, and got
back to her winning ways while on her favored Churchill track last month. The
Fleur de Lis actually moved her mark at the home of the Kentucky Derby to a
perfect four-for-four.
Bred in Kentucky by Russell L. Reineman Stables Inc., Funny Proposition sold
for $275,000 as a Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Selected yearling. She is the first
registered black-type winner out of the stakes-scorning Distorted Humor mare
Humorous Miss, and comes from the same female family as champion sprinter
Berseem and Grade 1 victress I'm Sweets
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