In a surprising post-race revelation, trainer Jason DaCosta disclosed that his three-year-old, American-bred bay colt Funcaandun wasn’t at full strength when winning the Philip Feanny Gold Cup on Saturday, October 5, 2024.

Robert “Hardball” Halledeen guided Funcaandun to the hard-fought victory holding off stablemate Is That A Fact by a mere three parts of a length.

The thrilling Graded Stakes/Open Allowance contest, featuring three-year-olds and upward over 7 furlongs (1,400m), saw Funcaandun cross the finish line in a time of 1:26.0 (23.2 x 46.4 x 1:12.3).

Despite the win, DaCosta admitted that Funcaandun was still short of peak condition, with his intention being to use the Gold Cup as a preparatory run for the upcoming Jamaica Cup. The Jamaica Cup is scheduled for November 9 and will run over 9½ furlongs (1,900m).

DaCosta’s candid assessment highlights his confidence in Funcaandun’s potential and underscores the trainer’s strategic approach to the racing season.

“Funcaandun wasn’t tightened 100 per cent for this race because this race wasn’t really his objective. We were using this race as a prep run for the Jamaica Cup and then the Mouttet Mile,” DaCosta said.

“But he got the job done anyway, and so I am really happy with the performance.
Funcaandun was travelling beautifully throughout the race. Robert [Halledeen] positioned him perfectly and gave him a perfect ride.

“He [Funcaandun] had the perfect trip whereas Is That A Fact got into some traffic problems on the backside. Both horses performed well.

“I was satisfied with the final time. He will improve out of this race because, as I said, he was not 100 per cent, so he will definitely improve.”

This revelation sets the stage for an exciting Jamaica Cup, where
Funcaandun is expected to be at full strength.

Funcaandun settled in third behind stablemate Banadura (Shavon Townsend) and
Wall Street Trader (Oneil Mullings) down the backstretch. Approaching the half-mile (800m) mark, Halledeen guided Funcaandun into second place behind
Wall Street Trader, who tried to steal a march on the field.

As the field approached the final turn, Funcaandun seized the lead with a powerful surge. Funcaandun turned on the afterburner, drawing away from the field in deep stretch. Despite being shortened inside the final stages, Funcaandun held off stablemate
Is That A Fact. Further and Beyond (Devon A Thomas) finished third.

Halledeen in his post-race interview said: “Mr DaCosta said to get a good break and then find racing room. I wasn’t worried throughout the race because I had a lot of horse under me, and I was ready to pounce on them when he was ready to go.”