It's easy to get caught up in Funny Cide mania, the warm and fuzzy story of the overachieving gelding, and only a real sourpuss would root for this horse to lose. I'd be delighted if he were to win, but handicapping a horse race has nothing to do with sentimentality. It's about figuring out who's the best horse and who's about to run the best race. Judging the field by those guidelines, Empire Maker is actually a very logical selection.

Even Funny Cide's most ardent fans will have to admit that these two horses are fairly evenly matched. They are 1-for-1 against each other, with Empire Maker having won the Wood Memorial before finishing second behind Funny Cide in the Kentucky Derby. So who's the better horse?

After a decisive victory in a Wood Memorial in which both horses appeared to run their race, Empire Maker did not have smooth sailing going into the Kentucky Derby. His training was compromised by a bruised foot and he missed a day of training. Worse yet, Bobby Frankel admittedly looked past the Derby because he was so intent on having the horse hold up throughout the entire Triple Crown campaign. Instead of gearing Empire Maker up for a top effort, he babied him. The result was a horse that was not as fit and as sharp as he needed to be to win a race as tough as the Kentucky Derby. Even so, his race was a lot better than people have given him credit for. Largely because he drew the 12 post, Empire Maker was wide on both turns and lost considerable ground.

Meanwhile, Funny Cide hugged the rail most of the way in what was a dream trip.

The sheet gurus, who take ground loss into account, have given Empire Maker a better speed figure than Funny Cide in the Derby. Since the Derby, Empire Maker has had five weeks off to prepare for the Belmont, while Funny Cide had to go through the rigors of the Preakness. The time off should be a huge advantage for Empire Maker over a horse who will be having his third race in five weeks.

It all adds up to Empire Maker beating Funny Cide and beating him soundly. Would I be shocked if Funny Cide were to win? Of course not. This is a very good horse, which was proven in the Kentucky Derby and reaffirmed with his powerful performance in the Preakness. Any horse running for the third time in five weeks is a candidate to tail off, but Barclay Tagg seems to have him still in peak condition, as evidenced by the blazing :57.80 workout Tuesday.

Funny Cide should run his race, but that may only be good enough for second place. Dynever is an interesting contender. He's clearly a talented horse, but he's a hard read. He has been visually impressive in his recent races, particularly when overcoming a ton of trouble in the Lone Star Derby. But he's never faced horses of this caliber and his speed figures put him several lengths behind Empire Maker and Funny Cide. He's going to have to prove it to me that he can handle this class of horses.

Ten Most Wanted is another interesting horse. It turns out that he may have had a legitimate excuse. He was banged around at the start and threw his back out of line. He was the hyped horse during Derby Week and those who liked him then may want to give him another chance. The knock is that the only good race he ran in his life was the Illinois Derby, where he beat a weak field. Wayne Lukas is always dangerous, but Scrimshaw simply isn't good enough to win. Supervisor is in way over his head.

Picks Summary: 1. Empire Maker 2. Funny Cide 3. Dynever