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Sunday, April 13, 2003

By The Associated Press

Empire Maker delivered a clear message yesterday: I am the horse to beat in the Kentucky Derby in three weeks.

Taking the lead from a determined Funny Cide just inside the eighth pole, Empire Maker won the $750,000 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct in New York by a half-length over a muddy track.

Bobby Frankel, the Hall of Fame trainer looking for his first Derby win, said the bay colt needed only a sharp effort to move on to Churchill Downs May 3. Now the 61-year-old trainer will show up in Louisville with the best 3-year-old in the land.

"He ran a great race, but the big one is still coming," Frankel said.

Frankel probably will have the top two Derby contenders. His Peace Rules won the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky.

Empire Maker, sent off as the 1-2 favorite, covered the 1 1/8 miles in 1:48.70, nearly a second off the stakes record. But the pace was far from taxing, and jockey Jerry Bailey only asked Empire Maker for something extra in the final strides.

The Wood victory was not as sensational as Empire Maker's record-setting, 9 3/4-length win in the Florida Derby last month. But with two Grade 1 wins in a row, and with a Hall of Fame trainer and jockey, Empire Maker probably will be the overwhelming favorite by post time for the Derby.

Funny Cide, with Jose Santos astride, might have earned a trip to the Derby with his runner-up finish. The New York-bred was sent off as the second choice at 5-1, with Kissin Saint third, another 7 1/2 lengths back.

New York Hero, the Lane's End Stakes winner who set the pace, dropped out of contention at the top of the stretch but still finished fourth. Senor Swinger, trained by Bob Baffert, was fifth, followed by Indy Dancer, Sky Soldier and Spite the Devil.

Empire Maker returned $3.10, $2.50 and $2.10. Funny Cide paid $4.40 and $2.10. Kissin Saint paid $2.10 to show.

Empire Maker earned $450,000 and boosted his winnings to $1,115,800. Should the colt win the Kentucky Derby, the New York Racing Association will give Frankel a $100,000 bonus for a Wood-Derby sweep.

While Frankel has no concerns about Empire Maker handling the 1 1/4-mile Derby distance, he has reservations about Peace Rules, owned by Edmund Gann.

"He's a real game horse," Frankel said. "But distance could be a question."

Other races

Blue Grass Stakes: Peace Rules might be the No. 2 horse in his barn, but he was clearly the best in the $750,000 race in Lexington, Ky. The 3-5 favorite broke sharply from the No. 2 post, took the lead in the first turn and drew off from Brancusi by 3 1/2 lengths to give trainer Bobby Frankel his second victory of the day in a Grade I Kentucky Derby prep. Earlier, Frankel watched his more touted Derby contender, Empire Maker, win the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct. Peace Rules didn't need any special attention from his trainer, covering the 1 1/8 miles on a fast track in 1:51 3-5. He paid $3.20, $2.40 and $2.10 and was the fourth favorite to win the Blue Grass in seven years. Jockey Edgar Prado rode the winning favorite for the second year in a row. He guided Harlan's Holiday to victory last year.

Arkansas Derby: Sir Cherokee charged from last at the half-mile mark to surprise a stacked field and win the $500,000 race at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs. Five other horses came to Oaklawn looking to earn their way to the Kentucky Derby May 3. But the 55-1 long shot notched the biggest upset at the Arkansas Derby since 1983, when Rockamundo won with odds of 108-1. Jockey Terry Thompson, making his first ride on Sir Cherokee, moved the son of Cherokee Run from ninth to third on the curve for home. He pulled up beside Christine's Outlaw, who finished third, in the stretch and closed 2 1/2 lengths down the stretch on Eugene's Third Son to win by 1 3/4 lengths. Sir Cherokee was fourth in his past two starts at Oaklawn.

Other news

Jockey Patricia Cooksey's legs were broken in a spill in the first race at Keeneland. Cooksey, 45, the winningest female jockey in Churchill Downs history, had the tibia in her right leg broken and the femur in her left. Cooksey was astride Ide Rather Not in the 12-horse field for the 1 1/16-mile opener. She had the 5-year-old mare vying for the lead along the rail when the horse clipped hooves with Tricky Princess and fell rounding the first turn.

Cooksey was thrown to the ground and her horse somersaulted onto its back.