Distorted Humor himself had a career running middle-distance stakes races. He broke his maiden at Florida's Gulfstream Park and was initially trained by Phil Gleaves as a sprinter/miler. Elliott Walden took over training duties in the spring of 1996 after Prestonwood Farm purchased a half-interest in Distorted Humor. Distorted Humor's career race record was 8 wins, 5 places and 3 shows in 23 starts, with earnings of $769,964. As a three-year-old, he won the Screen King Stakes, was second in the Grade III Fayette Stakes and the Grade IIJerome Handicap, and finished 3rd in the Grade III King's Bishop Stakes. At four, he took the Grade III Salvator Mile Handicap, and was second in the Grade III Kentucky Cup Classic Stakes and the Grade III Philip H. Iselin Handicap. At five, he took the Grade II Commonwealth Breeders' Cup Stakes, the Grade II Churchill Downs Stakes, and the Grade III Ack Ack Handicap before he was retired. At maturity, he reached.
Success as a sire
Beginning in 1999, Distorted Humor stood twice in Victoria, Australia, for $12,000. He sired two Australian crops. In those crops, 93 foals were runners, 74 were winners, 12 placed, and two others have come in the money. His get include Rinky Dink: winner of the South Australian Oaks and the Tasmanian Oaks, Distorted Halo: winner of the Moonee Valley and Mercedes-Benz Hong Kong Derby Trial, and Tirade: winner of the Caulfield Guineas Prelude and third in VRC Ascot Vale Stakes. Among his Australian winners are both flat runners and jumpers. One jumper, four-year-old Some Are Bent, took the Moonee Valley Hurdle in July 2006, his third jumps win in his past four outings. Back in the United States, Distorted Humor's 2000 fee remained low and his mares average, yet he became America's leading freshman sire of 2002. In 2003, his son Funny Cide became a dual classic winner, and Awesome Humor was a Grade I winner. In 2005, Distorted Humor's oldest foals were five-year-olds. Over the course of 140 races, 88 of his get earned $8.6 million. He finished the year as the second top sire in America, beaten only by the now deceased Saint Ballado. By late 2006, he had 255 winners, including 18 graded stakes winners, from 340 starters and sired 46 stakes winners. From five crops, his progeny have earned $30,265,433. In 2006, as a 14-year-old sire, he had 20 different horses win a combined 31 stakes races, 10 of which were graded. At age 15, Distorted Humor produced at least 20 stakes winners for the second year in a row. For the third straight year, he ranked among the top six stallions by progeny earnings. For 2007, he ranked third behind Smart Strike and A.P. Indy. 2011 was his best year yet as he earned the title of Leading sire in North America, thanks in part to Belmont Stakes winner Drosselmeyer. "Distorted Humor's progeny inherit the will to win, the desire; a lot like Storm Cat," said WinStar FarmPresident and CEO Doug Cauthen. "They're always battling. They battle and win or try to win, and that desire tends to get them in the winner's circle."
Progeny record
Currently standing at WinStar Farm in Versailles, Kentucky, Distorted Humor has produced progeny that include:
Ironicus, 2015 Bernard Baruch Handicap, setting new track record at Saratoga
Fees
Distorted Humor's fee for 2008 was $300,000—the same fee commanded by A.P. Indy and Storm Cat. Storm Cat is deceased; A.P Indy is pensioned. Due to the uncertain financial climate beginning in 2008, his fee was reduced to $225,000 for 2009 and $100,000 for 2011. In 2017 his fee is listed by WinStar and Bloodhorse.com as $80,000.
