March 19 - Renowned American trainer Richard Dutrow Jr is confident that his charge D' Funnybone will get down to business in Saturday's $150,000 Swale Stakes (Gr 2) for three-year-olds over 7 furlongs at Gulfstream Park in Florida, the race just before the day's feature, the $750,000 Florida Derby (Gr 1).

And he has reason to be confident considering how easily D' Funnybone dispatched his rivals for a victory in his last outing, the Hutcheson Stakes (Gr 2), over this course and distance on February 20. Before that race, however, the colt finished last in the coveted 2009 Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita in California.

Said Dutrow Jr earlier this week, 'He won that race very easy. Coming off a bad race, he needed to show up, and he did. So I've got no pressure with D' Funnybone. He's on his game, we know he likes the track, we know he likes the distance. If we get the trip, I'm supposed to meet him in the winner's circle.'

But it's not only the trainer who's brimming with confidence in his chances, but the bookmakers too, as he'll start in the Swale Stakes as the overwhelming 6/5 favourite when he attempts to increase his win rate to four from five starts. In his favour is the fact that he'll have his regular rider Edgar Prado aboard.

Dismissing his disastrous trip in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, D' Funnybone has proved himself to be something of a natural Gr 2 sprinter after notching up victories in the $150,000 Saratoga Special Stakes at Saratoga, the $250,000 Futurity Stakes at Belmont and finally the Hutcheson Stakes right here in Florida.

Tomorrow, D' Funnybone will go up against 8 other runners including possibly his biggest threat, Ibboyee, who he beat by two lengths in the Hutcheson. However, Ibboyee's trainer Todd Pletcher felt his charge had a poor trip in that race and is capable of more. 'He was stuck down on the inside throughout.' he said.

Then there's Dixie Band who won three one-turn races over Arlington's synthetic surface before coming 10th in the Breeders' Futurity at Keeneland. The Hutcheson will mark his debut over dirt, but his trainer Wayne Catalano seems very happy with the way Dixie Band has been training on dirt in recent weeks.

Here is the complete field and odds for the $150,000 Swale Stakes (Gr 2) at Gulfstream Park in Florida on Saturday, March 20:

Hear Ye Hear Ye (FL) 15/1
Silver Craft (KY) 15/1
Ibboyee (NY) 4/1
City Trooper (NY) 6/1
Fearless Cowboy (KY) 10/1
Dixie Band (KY) 6/1
D' Funnybone (FL) 6/5
Gary D (KY) 12/1
Privilaged (FL) 20/1