Empire Maker, Peace Rules Strongest Derby Hand Held By A Trainer Since Citation, Coaltown
By: William F. Reed

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Apr. 12, 2003) - The Bobby Frankel Cocktail Party & Testimonal Barbecue, otherwise known as the 129th Kentucky Derby, will be held on Saturday, May 3, at Churchill Downs. Tickets already are sold out. Everyone in attendance will have the chance to receive either cash or lovely parting gifts, also known as losing parimutuel tickets.

Frankel, of course, is the New York-born, California-based trainer who has won just about everything worth winning except a Triple Crown race. His good work has earned him the last three Eclipse Awards for trainer of the year. All he needs now is the key to unlock the doors of one of the sports world's most exclusive clubs: Trainers Who Have Won the Kentucky Derby.

On Saturday, Apr. 12, within about 45 minutes, Frankel pulled off an incredible exacta. First he won the $500,000 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct, the Long Island track where he began his career, with Empire Maker, who'll be one of the strongest Kentucky Derby favorites in recent years.

Then he found a TV set and watched Peace Rules, the other part of his potent 1-2 punch, go wire to wire in the $500,000 Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland. Empire Maker was ridden by Jerry Bailey, Peace Rules by Edgar Prado.

"To win the Derby would be the biggest accomplishment of my career," said an elated Frankel from New York. "I've always watched it on TV, and I've been jealous that other people were there and I wasn't. I'll be there this year."

The last trainer to win both the Blue Grass and the Wood on the same day was, well, nobody that your correspondent could find. For years, the Wood was held two weeks before the Derby, the Blue Grass, nine days.

But even under the old spacing, no trainer since 1936, the year of the first Blue Grass, has ever won both in the same year, much less the same day.

So barring the unforeseen, Frankel will go into the Derby with the strongest entry since Calumet Farm's Citation and Coaltown, who ran 1-2, respectively in the 1948 Derby.

Since then, there have been several powerful stablemates. CV. Whitney's Counterpoint and Mameluke in 1951 (neither hit the board). Calumet's Fabius and Pintor Le in 1956 (second and fifth, respectively). The Phipps family's Easy Goer and Awe Inspiring in 1989 (second and third, respectively).

But it has been 55 years, or even longer, since one trainer had the favorite and the probable second choice. In '48, Citation and Coaltown were coupled as entry. But under today's rules, Empire Maker and Peace Rules will be separate betting interests because they have different owners.

Empire Maker, who won the Florida Derby by almost 10 lengths in his last race before the Wood, is owned by Juddmonte Farm, the worldwide breeding and racing operation of Prince Khalid Abdullah of Saudi Arabia. Peace Rules is owned by Edmund Gann.

"Bobby [Frankel] has the No. 1 horse [Empire Maker]," said Gann, "but being second isn't all that bad. There isn't a better trainer than Bobby Frankel. He always places horses where they can win."

That's what Calumet Farm trainer Christophe Clement tried to do by sending Region of Merit to the Arkansas Derby instead of the Blue Grass. But the colt's four-race winning streak was ended by Sir Cherokee, a 55-1 shot who was shuffled back to last in the 12-horse field in the early going.

However, the colt made a sustained drive under jockey Terry Thompson to circle the field and beat the second-place Eugene's Third Son by a comfortable 1 3/4 lengths.The winning time - 1:48 1/5 for a mile and an eighth - was faster than either the Blue Grass or the Wood, which were run over the same distance.

So Frankel will replace Bob Baffert and D. Wayne Lukas as "The Man" in the days leading up to this year's Derby. He'll be the guy who will draw the biggest media crowds to his barn, who will be asked the same questions over and over again, and who will be the interview everybody wants.

Bobby Frankel, meet Katie Couric.

And, oh, yes, this is Freida Frump from Des Moines.

Most of the questions will be about Empire Maker, who has the breeding and the potential to be a superstar. Even Frankel still has questions about whether Peace Rules has the pedigree and the stamina to win at a mile and a quarter on the first Saturday in May.

But sometimes Avis sneaks up and beats Hertz. In 1998, the winning Real Quiet wasn't as highly regarded as stablemate Indian Charlie. In 1974, Woody Stephens thought Judger was better than Cannonade.

There's also the fact that, when horses get to Churchill Downs, some blossom and some wilt. That's what the racetrack insiders will be looking for, not only in Frankel's twosome, but in every other Derby horse.

After winning the Blue Grass with Peace Rules, jockey Prado said this:

"First, I'd like to dedicate this win to all the troops fighting in Iraq. Let peace rule around the world."

Wonderful thought, Edgar, but don't expect to be a guest on the Rush Limbaugh Show anytime soon.

A new and revised Top 10:

1. Empire Maker
2. Peace Rules
3. Buddy Gil
4. Ten Most Wanted
5. New York Hero
6. Eugene's Third Son
7 Senor Swinger
8.Region of Merit
9. Ministers Wild Cat
10. Excessivepleasure

Native Kentuckian William F. Reed has been a sports writer in various capacities for 43 years and has missed covering the Kentucky Derby a mere two times since 1966. He has been a high-profile sports writer in Kentucky for the Commonwealth's two largest daily newspapers, the Louisville Courier-Journal and the Lexington Herald-Leader and was a national columnist for Sports Illustrated, covering among other sports, Thoroughbred horse racing and college basketball. Reed currently pens a column for the Louisville Sports Report and covered Kentucky Derby 128 for kentuckyderby.com. He will be filing frequent installments for CDSN's (Churchill Downs Simulcasting Network) websites throughout 2003.

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