NYRA/Coglianese Photo

Funny Guy in fine fettle for John Morrissey

by Keith McCalmont

Gatsas Stables, R. A. Hill Stable and Swick Stable's Funny Guy is the headliner for Thursday's seven-furlong $85,000 John Morrissey, a handicap for New York-breds 3-years-old and up at Saratoga Race Course.

Trained by John Terranova, the 4-year-old Big Brown colt made a stylish seasonal debut last out on June 12 at Belmont Park, rallying from seventh to win the one-turn mile Commentator for Empire State-breds by 1 1/4-lengths, garnering a career-best 101 Beyer Speed Figure.

Terranova said Funny Guy, who owns a record of four wins and four seconds from 11 starts, has matured.

"He's gotten much stronger and he was training like it coming back this year," said Terranova. "We had him ready for quite a while. We just got delayed with the pandemic. We toyed with the idea of taking him to Oaklawn over the winter but we decided to wait it out. With the Commentator, we were expecting a good race, but that was even better than expected."

Funny Guy, bred in New York by Hibiscus Stables, was clocked five-eighths in 1:02.66 Saturday, working in company with multiple graded-stakes placed 6-year-old Stan the Man, who stopped the clock in 1:02.34.

"They looked good. It was just an easy work," said Terranova. "They both needed a good sparring partner and they went nice together. It was a good match."

Last year, the versatile Funny Guy captured the six-furlong Times Square division of the New York Stallion Stakes Series at Aqueduct and the Albany over the Saratoga main track going 1 1/8 miles on August 23.

Terranova said he considered entering next Saturday's Grade 1 Whitney at nine furlongs, but ultimately decided to compete with state-breds for the time being.

"He's a versatile horse and we can do several things with him, but really we don't have too many options here right now," said Terranova. "It was either jump into Grade 1 company going a mile and an eighth or stick with New York-breds at seven-eighths. He's been fine sprinting, good at a middle distance and he's won at a mile and an eighth, so until we know what his best is we'll run where the best opportunities arise."

Joel Rosario retains the mount from post 6 carrying 122 pounds.

Noda Brothers' T Loves a Fight, bred in the Empire State by Hoffman Thoroughbreds, has provided conditioner and co-owner Orlando Noda with a number of firsts in his young trainer career.

Noda claimed the 6-year-old Girolamo gelding for $10,000 last May at Belmont and after running fourth in his first start for new connections, the popular bay enjoyed a three-race win streak that provided Noda his first training win on June 13, 2019 in a $12,500 claimer at Belmont.

T Loves a Fight doubled up two weeks later in a $25,000 claiming sprint at Belmont and followed up by providing Noda with his first Saratoga winner last summer, rallying to a three-quarter length score in an optional-claiming sprint.

T Loves a Fight, who won the 2017 Mike Lee at Belmont for former trainer Michael Hushion, has hit the board in four stakes events for Noda. Last out, T Loves a Fight was off-the-board in a July 4 optional-claiming sprint at Belmont.

"He's training good. He came out of the last race good and he'll be ready to fire for the Morrissey," said Noda. "This is his distance. Going six and a half or seven furlongs, that's where he belongs. We'll see if he can help us go from a stakes placed to a stakes-winning trainer.

"This horse put me on the map, to say the least," added Noda. "The horse has made $250,000 for me from a $10,000 claim. There's not many horses that can do that."

T Loves a Fight, who finished fourth in last year's John Morrissey, will exit post 3 under Luis Saez and Noda said he expects a closing trip.

"I think we ran him a little too close last out. How he wins is from off the pace and let him finish," said Noda.

Harold Lerner, AWC Stables and Nehoc Stables' New York-bred millionaire Pat On the Back will make his second start off the layoff following an off-the-board effort last out in the Commentator.

The Jeremiah Englehart trainee breezed a half-mile in 47.83 on the main track Thursday in company with Captain Bombastic, who is targeting the Grade 1 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial presented by Runhappy on August 1.

The versatile Pat On the Back, bred in the Empire State by Sugar Maple Farm, made the grade in September in the Grade 2 Kelso traveling one mile at Belmont. By Congrats and out of the Awesome Again mare Accomplished, Pat On the Back has compiled a record of 29-9-4-6 with purse earnings of $1,143,270.

Dylan Davis retains the mount from the inside post carrying the co-highweight of 123 pounds.

West Point Thoroughbreds and Chris Larsen's Freaky Styley, a lightly-raced 4-year-old son of Scat Daddy, will make his stakes debut for trainer Jorge Abreu.

A maiden winner at the Big A in December at fourth asking with a prominent trip, Freaky Styley doubled up with a last-to-first effort in a restricted allowance tilt on February 29, both efforts contested at one mile.

Freaky Styley, bred by West Point Thoroughbreds and 3C Stables, worked five-eighths in 1:01.29 Thursday on the Saratoga main track.

"He's really been improving. Every race he runs better and better," said Abreu. "I sent him to the farm after they closed racing at Aqueduct and it took him a little while to get back into the groove, but now he's going good."

Freaky Styley debuted at Saratoga last summer making two starts in restricted seven-furlong maiden sprints and Abreu said the colt appreciates the Spa surface.

"He's already run here twice and he's breezed over it twice this year. Hopefully, we can get lucky," said Abreu. "I think he's a better come-from-behind horse, but preferably not too far behind. His last breeze went really well. We're hoping for a good effort."

Eric Cancel retains the mount from post 7.

Winchell Thoroughbreds and Willis Horton Racing's multiple stakes winner Bankit will look to return to winning ways. Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, the 4-year-old Central Banker colt captured the 2018 Sleepy Hollow at Belmont and added a second stakes score when taking the New York Derby last July at Finger Lakes, which was his last victory.

The late-running bay has hit the board in six of eight starts since the New York Derby, including a good second in the Grade 3 Razorback in February and a last-out third in the Commentator.

Bankit, bred by Hidden Brook Farm and Blue Devil Racing, will carry 123 pounds and emerge from post 5 under Ricardo Santana, Jr.

Zilla Racing Stables' Celtic Chaos, a two-time winner of the John Morrissey [2017, 2019] will look to defend his title from post 9 under Hall of Famer Javier Castellano.

Trained by Brad Cox, the 7-year-old Dublin chestnut rallied to win the 2017 renewal by a neck under Eric Cancel for former trainer Kiaran McLaughlin. In 2018, Cancel used a similar approach in the John Morrissey when guiding Celtic Chaos to a good third at 14-1. Last year, with Davis up, Celtic Chaos was closer to the pace and surged to a narrow nose score over Build to Suit.

Bred in New York by Spendthrift Farm, Celtic Chaos has compiled a career record of 39-9-6-8 with purse earnings of $677,761.

Rounding out the field are Kazmania [post 2, David Cohen], Amundson [post 4, Jose Ortiz], and My Boy Tate [post 8, Manny Franco].

The John Morrissey is slated as Race 9 on Thursday's 10-race card, which offers a first post of 1:10 p.m. Eastern. Saratoga Live will present daily television coverage of the 40-day summer meet on FOX Sports and MSG Networks. For the complete Saratoga Live broadcast schedule, and additional programming information, visit https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/tv-schedule.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Saratoga Race Course, and the best way to bet every race of the 40-day summer meet. Available to horseplayers nationwide, NYRA Bets is currently offering a $200 new member bonus in addition to a host of special weekly offers. The NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.