If you want to get Jerry Bailey riled up, ask him if he would trade places with fellow jockey Jose Santos.
"Of course not," Bailey snapped. "I think my horse is the best horse."
They, along with the rest of the country, will find out in Saturday's Belmont Stakes.
Santos will ride Funny Cide, who has a chance to become the first Triple Crown winner in 25 years. Bailey's mount is Empire Maker, who finished second to Funny Cide in the Kentucky Derby.
Empire Maker, the Derby betting favorite, ran with a foot injury that had bothered him all week.
"I'm frustrated that if Empire Maker had been on his game, it probably would have been a different story at Churchill," Bailey said. "I rode him as if he was really sound, but he wasn't."
Empire Maker and Funny Cide have beaten each other once, so the Belmont will be their rubber match. Empire Maker won the Wood Memorial in April, while Funny Cide won the Derby by 13/4 lengths. Empire Maker skipped the Preakness, and comes into the Belmont off a five-week layoff.
Besides his foot injury, Empire Maker lost weight after the Derby, so "he needed some time to freshen up," Bailey said.
"Empire Maker looks like he's in beautiful condition, so you've got to respect him," said Barclay Tagg, Funny Cide's trainer.
Funny Cide won the Preakness by 9 3/4 lengths, and will be racing again after a three-week rest. Santos said the big victory margin didn't take anything out of the gelding.
Bailey and Santos both ride in the competitive New York circuit, and know every turn of the huge Belmont Park oval. Funny Cide is 3-0 in races on his home track; Empire Maker won the first race of his career at Belmont.
"There's no question about it, we have more advantage than any horse running in the race," Santos said. "The horse lives about a quarter of a mile away from the paddock. Everything is working in Funny Cide's favor.''
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