OCEANPORT, N.J. — Funny Cide and Empire Maker may have more than each other to contend with in their highly anticipated rematch in the Travers Stakes. With a wire-to-wire victory over Sky Mesa and Funny Cide in the $1 million Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park on Sunday, Peace Rules gives trainer Bobby Frankel another option for the $1 million Travers at Saratoga on Aug. 23. “I have to think about running him in the Travers,” said Frankel, whose Empire Maker lost by a neck to Strong Hope in the Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga on Sunday. “There’s a chance that both horses may be going to the Travers. If Peace Rules does go in the Travers, that’s going to make the race really interesting.” Funny Cide won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness before Empire Maker ended the gelding’s Triple Crown try by winning the Belmont Stakes on June 7. Both horses were making their first starts since the Belmont yesterday — and both lost as favorites as they prepared to renew their rivalry in the Travers. The 1 1/8-mile Haskell proved an easy test for Peace Rules, who loves to run on or near the lead. The 3-year-old chestnut colt broke first from the No. 1 post and was never challenged, beating Sky Mesa by 1.75 lengths. Funny Cide never threatened and finished third, nine lengths behind the winner. “I don’t think he was really handling the track too well,” Funny Cide’s jockey Jose Santos said. “In the past he was dragging me. Today I was busy on him for the last six furlongs.” Santos, though, is already looking ahead. “I think the Travers will be a much anticipated race even though the two big horses didn’t win today,” he said. “Empire Maker and Funny Cide will make a big impression at the Spa.” A record crowd of 53,638 showed up on a sunny day at the Jersey Shore to cheer on the New York-bred Funny Cide. Jack Knowlton, managing partner of Sackatoga Stable, was aboard one of two yellow school buses that dropped off the Funny Cide entourage, including several of the 10 owners. In defeat, Knowlton put Funny Cide’s accomplishments in perspective. “If you had told Sackatoga Stable a year ago they would have a horse finish third in a Grade 1 $1 million race they would have been ecstatic,” Knowlton said. While Peace Rules earned $600,000 for owner Edmund Gann, Funny Cide earned $200,000 for his third-place finish — including bonuses of $50,000 apiece to the owners and trainer Barclay Tagg. Funny Cide now has career earnings of more than $2 million as he extended his record to five wins, two seconds and two thirds from 10 starts. Funny Cide, who won the hearts of the racing world with his unexpected run at the Triple Crown, was fifth for most of the race before rallying to gain third in a disappointing effort. Wild and Wicked was fourth, followed by Max Forever, Kool Humor and Excessivepleasure. Peace Rules, who beat Funny Cide in the Louisiana Derby before finishing third in the Kentucky Derby and fourth in the Preakness, was coming off a 78-day layoff. “I knew Bobby has always been very high on Peace Rules and this race proved it,” winning jockey Edgar Prado said. “In the stretch he found another gear and kept on running. We were out there setting an unpressured pace and he was able to go all the way.” Peace Rules, a winner in six of 11 lifetime starts, boosted his career earnings to $1,859,990. The colt returned $6.60, $3.80 and $2.10. Sky Mesa, with an impressive run in just his second start this year, returned $4.40 and $2.10. Funny Cide paid $2.10 to show. Despite Empire Maker’s defeat in the Jim Dandy, Frankel still had a huge weekend. The Hall of Famer also took the Whitney at Saratoga on Saturday with Medaglia d’Oro. Frankel has won 17 Grade 1 races this year and about $13 million in earnings — nearly double the amount of the next two trainers, Steve Asmussen and Todd Pletcher. Should Frankel decide to enter only Empire Maker in the Travers, Peace Rules could end up in the $1 million Pacific Classic at Del Mar on Aug. 24. “Bobby’s the boss,” Gann said. “Whatever he says has a way of working out.” Notes: Milwaukee Brew, also trained by Frankel, was an easy 4.25-length winner in the first race on the card. The 6-year-old Milwaukee Brew, who won the Santa Anita Handicap in March in his last start, used the 1 1-16th-mile allowance race as a tuneup for the Pacific Classic.

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