NEW YORK - Saturday is a special day, not just because it starts a Memorial Day weekend that promises excellent stakes racing from coast to coast, or because it is opening day at Monmouth Park, but principally because reigning Horse of the Year Azeri runs in the $200,000 Milady Breeders' Cup Handicap at Hollywood Park.

Given that Azeri will be a prohibitive favorite against a handful of opponents, it is hard betting on her and it is even more difficult betting against her. But anytime a Horse of the Year races, it commands attention, even if betting isn't an appealing option.

PHILADELPHIA - I am here to praise Funny Cide.

Has any Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner ever been given less respect? You know the drill. He had a perfect trip in the Derby. He had only one horse to beat in the Preakness and that horse went off form.

What people are saying and writing may, in fact, be true. It does not change the fact that Funny Cide won both races. And won them emphatically. Until they change the rules of the sport, that is the object.

Let's review.

LAS VEGAS - Funny Cide's lopsided 9 3/4-length victory in the Preakness Stakes following his solid score in the Kentucky Derby has convinced many that he will be the first Triple Crown winner in 25 years. The Preakness confirmed his high quality and catapulted him to the head of his class - for now.

BALTIMORE - Funny Cide won Saturday's Preakness Stakes at Pimlico by a lopsided 9 3/4 lengths, and who really knows? Maybe that was the biggest win margin ever in this leg of the Triple Crown. There was no photo finish camera around to verify Survivor's supposed win margin of 10 lengths in the first Preakness back in 1873, and the people who witnessed that event aren't talking.

PHOENIX - There are a number of races this weekend with heavier national implications, but the most interesting one may be at Turf Paradise, where the customary meet-ending $50,000 Hasta La Vista Handicap will be run Sunday.

It's not so much the horses that make this race but the circumstances. The race is run at 1 7/8 miles on the turf. That's right - 15 furlongs. Batten down the hatches, tighten up your laces good - you're in for the long haul.

This race is virtually assured to unfold with a severely contested pace, because five of the 10 entrants have the same up-front running style. This year's Preakness sniffs of a pace meltdown, and plays into the hands of closers Senor Swinger and Kissin Saint.

Sixteen of the last 17 Preakness winners ran in the Kentucky Derby. That trend is likely to continue this year, since the Preakness starters who did not compete in the Derby don't look like world-beaters.

The four Derby runners returning in the Preakness are Derby winner Funny Cide, third-place finisher Peace Rules, eighth-place Ten Cents a Shine, and Scrimshaw, who was 11th. Most handicappers will be quick to narrow that list down to Funny Cide and Peace Rules. But where is the betting value to be found by choosing between that pair?

Peace Rules ran a terrific race finishing third in the Kentucky Derby, and he is my selection to get the job done in the Preakness.

The most obvious reason why Peace Rules earned positive reviews for his effort at Churchill Downs was that after disputing a strong early pace going a distance most agreed was beyond his scope, he was beaten only two lengths by Funny Cide, who enjoyed a perfect trip, and just a head for second by the favored Empire Maker.

When they met in the Louisiana Derby, Peace Rules stalked Funny Cide and surged past in the stretch. Their roles were reversed in the Kentucky Derby, and so was the order of finish. So, the rubber match shapes up as a game of cat and mouse between Jose Santos and Edgar Prado, each of whom will try to secure a garden spot stalking trip in a field where New York Hero and Cherokee's Boy also figure to jockey for early position. Prado's years of experience at Pimlico could be an advantage, however slight.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - A quick glance at Friday's Pimlico Special Handicap suggests that Mineshaft might be a lock. Dig a little deeper, and the race starts looking more competitive and filled with value.

Although Mineshaft is unquestionably a talented colt with a bright future, he faces his toughest task to date in the Pimlico Special. For a horse who has never been tested in Grade 1 company, his 121-pound weight assignment is a bit hefty.

He may be up to the challenge. But at a short price, the reward seemingly doesn't justify the risk.