Horse named after Syndergaard easily wins big race
NEW YORK - Turns out, Syndergaard is awfully fast on the track, too.
A horse named after hard-throwing New York Mets pitcher Noah Syndergaard won the $200,000 Funny Cide Stakes at Saratoga on Friday, blowing away the competition by eight lengths.
The horse version of Syndergaard before the Funny Cide Stakes at Saratoga. @Mets @TheNYRA, @Noahsyndergaard pic.twitter.com/RbO2QL1c56
— John Piassek (@theyreoff) August 26, 2016
The team made mention of Syndergaard's racing success upstate in its game notes Friday and said the 2-year-old colt is an early favorite for next year's Kentucky Derby.
In a release provided by the New York Racing Association, winning trainer Todd Pletcher said: ''Yeah, he came with the heater today.''
The Mets said track announcer Larry Collmus exclaimed that Syndergaard ''was throwing the hammer down.''
Syndergaard the horse is owned by Eric Fein, a Mets fan from nearby Long Island, according to NYRA.
Syndergaard the pitcher - nicknamed Thor - has quickly blossomed into a horse on the mound for the defending NL champions. The 6-foot-6, 242-pound right-hander would like to meet his namesake, Mets spokesman Jay Horwitz said.
Officials are trying to set up a meeting sometime soon, after the horse returns to Belmont Park, which is only a 12-mile drive from Citi Field.