Funny Cide, the first gelding to win in 74 years, went off at 12-1.

Funny Cide, the first gelding to win in 74 years, went off at 12-1.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) -- The winner was a gelding, the first in 74 years. The favorite finished second and his foot was fine. Baffert and Lukas hardly mattered.
There sure was a Funny Cide to this Kentucky Derby.
"People just didn't believe in this horse because he is a gelding," winning jockey Jose Santos said. "This is an excellent horse. I can't believe we won the Kentucky Derby."
Neither can a lot of people, including Bobby Frankel. The trainer had the two favorites in Empire Maker and Peace Rules, but his colts couldn't catch Funny Cide. Empire Maker, the top choice at 5-2 was 13/4 lengths behind with Peace Rules a head farther back.
"It wasn't meant to be," Frankel said. "That's all I can say. The other horse ran a good race and he beat me."
Almost didn't run
Unlike most Derbies, this one lacked sizzle. And when it became clear Frankel's horses were beaten, there was more of a letdown feeling of "Funny Who?"
Perhaps the oddest element was that Funny Cide nearly stayed home in New York because his trainer didn't want to deal with the aggravation of traveling to Churchill Downs. Good thing he changed his mind.
Making his winning move around the far turn, the chestnut overtook pace-setting Peace Rules and then held off Empire Maker to become the first horse bred in New York to win the Derby.
Funny Cide, trained by 65-year-old Barclay Tagg, became the first gelding since Clyde Van Dusen in 1929 to win the Derby. Since then, 74 geldings -- a neutered male horse -- tried and failed.
But not this one.
The win by Funny Cide also turned the tables on Empire Maker, who beat the gelding by a half-length in the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct on April 12.
After that race, Tagg was reluctant to leave town. He even waited until Wednesday to bring his 3-year-old to town.
"So many things go wrong in this game all the time," Tagg said. "To have everything go right week after week after week and it finally comes to this, is a blessing."
One-for-one
Tagg made Derby history of his own, becoming the first trainer to win on his first Derby try since Cam Gambolotti won with Spend a Buck in 1985.
Funny Cide, a 12-1 choice by the crowd of 148,530 -- the fifth largest -- was third down the backstretch, behind a speed duel between Brancusi and Peace Rules. When Brancusi tired entering the final turn, Santos moved Funny Cide off the rail to go after Peace Rules.
As they turned for home, Funny Cide was between Peace Rules on the inside and Empire Maker on the outside. Under Santos' urging, Funny Cide drew clear and covered the 11/4 miles in 2:01.19, the 10th fastest in Derby history.
"We got a beautiful trip and settled in very easily," Edgar Prado, aboard Peace Rules, said. "He tried very hard, we just go beat."
Atswhatimtalknbout was fourth, followed by Eye of the Tiger, Buddy Gil, Outta Here, Ten Cents a Shine, Ten Most Wanted, Domestic Dispute, Scrimshaw, Offlee Wild, Supah Blitz, Indian Express, Lone Star Sky and Brancusi.
Jockey Jerry Bailey said Empire Maker's bruised foot wasn't a factor.
"If it had bothered him, he wouldn't have changed leads on command the way he did," said Bailey, a two-time Derby winner. "I still think he's better than that other horse, but that doesn't change what happened."
Winnings
Purchased as a yearling for $22,000 by Sackatoga Stables in upstate New York, Funny Cide returned $27.60, $12.40 and $8.20. Empire Maker paid $5.80 and $4.40. Peace Rules paid $6.
In earning $800,200 from the $1,100,200 purse for his first victory in four tries this year, Funny Cide boosted his winnings to $1,239,385.
Although Frankel finished 2-3 with his powerful entry and had three wins and a second on the day's undercard, he left town 0-for-4 in the Derby and winless in Triple Crown races.
The odds changed slightly on Derby day, with Empire Maker dropping from 6-5 on the morning line to 3-1 before settling at 5-2.
It all ended with the Derby favorite's jinx very much intact.
Since Spectacular Bid won in 1979, only one favorite -- Fusaichi Pegasus in 2000 -- has come through.
"When they turned for home, I thought he was going to win it. I'll live to fight another day. So will the horse," Frankel said.