129^th Kentucky Derby Part 1…April 16, 2003

With the Kentucky Derby just a little over two weeks away it’s never too early to see how some of the early favorites are racing.  Like any good handicapper, we like to keep an eye on the performance of the participants prior to the big day.  Below are some of the early returns on a few of the contenders.

Empire Maker -- The victory by Juddmonte Farm's Empire Maker in the Wood Memorial (Grade I) at Aqueduct was not a repeat of his record-setting romp in the Florida Derby (GI), but the measured half-length win over the gritty Funny Cide was good enough to ensure that the son of Unbridled would be the heaviest Kentucky Derby favorite in more than a decade.

Churchill Downs handicapper Mike Battaglia told the Louisville Courier-Journal after Empire Maker's win that the son of Unbridled would be favored in range of 6-5 in his Kentucky Derby morning line. That would make the son of Unbridled a very heavy favorite since every Kentucky Derby starter is now an individual wagering interest and there are no more mutual fields or coupled entries to consider. That would also make Empire Maker the shortest-priced morning line favorite in the Derby since Arazi, who was a 6-5 early Derby choice in 1992 but struggled home eighth on Derby Day.

"Empire Maker is battle tested," Frankel said on Sunday. "He's now had four races at a mile and an eighth. He handled a sealed track (on Saturday). He has learned a lot since the Florida Derby."   Empire Maker improved his career record to 3-1-1 in five starts and he has now earned $1,115,800.

Peace Rules - Bobby Frankel's day got even better shortly after Empire Maker's win in the Wood Memorial as Edmund Gann's Peace Rules, the stable's second-stringer, romped to a 3 ½-length win over Brancusi in Keeneland's $750,000 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes.

The chestnut son of Jules, the 3-5 favorite, grabbed the lead at the start and drew away in the stretch under jockey Edgar Prado to complete the 1 1/8-mile distance in 1:51.73. Offlee Wild finished third and Crowned Dancer was fourth.

"Our horse is probably the second-string in Bobby Frankel's mind," said Gann. "Of course, we're not giving up right yet."

It was the second consecutive Toyota Blue Grass victory for Prado, who won the race last year aboard eventual Kentucky Derby favorite Harlan's Holiday.

Peace Rules has now won four consecutive races, with the last two - the Louisiana Derby (GII) and the Toyota Blue Grass - coming after Frankel switched the colt from grass to dirt. Frankel's only concern about Peace Rules is his ability to get the Derby distance of 1 ¼-miles.

"Peace Rules is a good horse and he's very game," Frankel said. "When horses get to him, they can't get by him so easy. He's tough and he never gives up."

The horse that may have been the biggest threat to Peace Rules in the Toyota Blue Grass never made it to the starting gate. Ken and Sarah Ramsey's Badge of Silver, winner of the Risen Star (GIII), fractured a cannon bone in his right front leg during a Friday gallop and was scratched from the race. The Ronny Werner-trained colt suffered a similar injury at two and underwent surgery on Monday at Lexington's Rood & Riddle Equine Clinic.

Sir Cherokee - Domino Stud's homebred son of Cherokee Run ran down Eugene's Third Son near the finish line to win by 1 ¾-lengths under jockey Terry Thompson. Christine's Outlaw finished third and Region of Merit was fourth. Favored Man Among Men finished 10th. Sir Cherokee, trained by Mike Tomlinson, covered the 1 1/8-mile distance in 1:48.39 - the fastest clocking in the Arkansas Derby since eventual Breeders' Cup Classic (GI) winner Concern won the race in 1:48 in 1994.

"Sir Cherokee was going so fast, all I could do was hope I wouldn't fall off," said Thompson. "What a runner this guy is!"

It appears the Sir Cherokee will be the only member of the 12-horse Arkansas Derby field to try the Kentucky Derby. He arrived at Tomlinson's barn at Churchill Downs' Trackside Louisville training center Sunday evening following a van ride from Oaklawn Park.

"I know my horse can get the mile and a quarter," said Tomlinson, who has never saddled a Kentucky Derby starter. "I know he likes the racetrack, so I'm confident he'll give a good account of himself. I'm just tickled to death to be heading to Louisville."

There will be no Kentucky Derby for Man Among Men, who suffered cuts on his right front leg in the Arkansas Derby and was scheduled to fly back to trainer Gary Mandella's barn in California.

"We'll bring him home and see what's best," said Mandella, "but the Kentucky Derby is out."

Man Among Men is the last horse to defeat Kentucky Derby favorite Empire Maker, having beaten him in the Sham Stakes at Santa Anita.

Below are some of the early lines from SportingBetUSA

Good Luck and bet smart.

Nick Rizzo

Questions and comments can be directed to NickR@LasVegasSportsLine.com