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Empire Maker (right) foils Funny Cide's Triple Crown bid by winning the Belmont, finishing three-quarters of a length ahead of Ten Most Wanted.

As far as Frankel is concerned, it should have been "Empire Strikes Back."

"They had theirs," Frankel said, referring to the Funny Cide team. "It was time for someone else."

Empire Maker's victory in Saturday's 135th Belmont Stakes brought to a conclusion one of the most fascinating, emotionally gripping Triple Crown series in years. But it also set the stage for a rivalry that will be played out over the remainder of the year, with Empire Maker and Funny Cide battling for the 3-year-old championship. Empire Maker now holds a 2-1 advantage. He beat Funny Cide in the Wood Memorial and the Belmont. Funny Cide beat Empire Maker in the Kentucky Derby.

Both Empire Maker and Funny Cide came out of the Belmont in good condition, will get a much-deserved vacation while remaining at Belmont Park, and then will reappear in August. Empire Maker is scheduled to run next in the 1 1/8-mile Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga on Aug. 3. Funny Cide most likely will run in the 1 1/8-mile Haskell Invitational at Monmouth the same day, where his rivals could include another Frankel-trained runner, Peace Rules.

The Haskell, at $1 million, is worth twice as much as the Jim Dandy. It also offers a bonus that would be worth $50,000 to Funny Cide's owners, the Sackatoga Stable, and another $50,000 to trainer Barclay Tagg for simply running in the race.

If both Empire Maker and Funny Cide win those races, that would set the stage for a summer blockbuster in the $1 million, 1 1/4-mile Travers Stakes at Saratoga on Aug. 23, which also is expected to lure Ten Most Wanted, the Belmont runner-up.

"They've had three races, and they've been three very competitive races," said Jack Knowlton, the head of the Sackatoga Stable partnership. "They've won two, but we won the big one. We're not ready to concede that we're not going to beat him again. A mile and an eighth, a mile and a quarter, those are better distances for our horse than a mile and a half."

Empire Maker, a son of Unbridled, might have had the advantage going 1 1/2 miles in the Belmont. He also had the advantage of training straight into the race following the Derby, whereas Funny Cide had continued on the Triple Crown trail and won powerfully in the Preakness Stakes.

"Funny Cide had had two tough races," Frankel said.

Before the Derby, the focus of this 3-year-old crop was on Empire Maker. His victory in the Wood made him the overwhelming favorite for the Derby. In fact, it was he, not Funny Cide, who was considered a potential Triple Crown threat. But in the five weeks between the finish of the Derby and the start of the Belmont, it was Funny Cide who took on the aura of a folk hero. He had an underdog trainer in Tagg, regular-guy ownership group, plebian pedigree, and a jockey, Jose Santos, who was the subject of a quickly discredited Miami Herald story insinuating he had cheated in the Derby

When Funny Cide came on the track for the Belmont, he received a thunderous ovation, and he received a heartfelt round of applause after failing in the Belmont.

"I've never seen a horse get beat and get cheered," said Santos, who was eagerly anticipating a rematch with Empire Maker. "He beat me in the Wood. I beat him in the Kentucky Derby. He beat me in the Belmont. Maybe they will meet again in the Haskell, or Travers, like two good boxers. There will be a lot of talk between the next race between Empire Maker and Funny Cide. We'll see what's going to happen. I think it will be very interesting."

For Frankel, the remainder of the year offers a chance to prove his belief that Empire Maker is a special colt. Frankel thought Empire Maker was capable of winning the Triple Crown, and admits that he did not train Empire Maker as aggressively before the Derby as he did for the Belmont because, at the time, he wanted to keep Empire Maker fresh for the entire Triple Crown. Frankel refused, though, to wonder what might have been.

"You look back to see what goes wrong, then you take the positive from it and go on," he said. "The positive is that he missed the Preakness and I'll have him for the rest of the year. He looks great and he's healthy instead of going through the grind of the Triple Crown.

"I like giving my horses time between races. I like the seven weeks going into the Jim Dandy. It's perfect for my style. He's thriving. Hopefully he does what I think he can and you'll see a great horse by the end of the year."

Frankel said he might have been overconfident before the Derby, even with the foot bruise Empire Maker suffered the week of the race.

"There was no room for error when he had the foot problem," Frankel said. "Sometimes you get away with it. We didn't that time."

Funny Cide's connections were as graceful after the loss in the Belmont as they were following victories in the Derby and Preakness. Tagg took the loss hardest, saying he "felt terrible for all those people behind the horse," but he was proud Funny Cide performed well in all three Triple Crown races. "At least we got to all three. Not many did," Tagg said.

Robin Smullen, who is Tagg's assistant trainer and girlfriend, and Funny Cide's exercise rider, said she was disappointed Funny Cide lost, but was "so proud of the horse for accomplishing what he's accomplished."

"Empire Maker is going to do major, major things, and maybe be a top sire," Smullen said. "But we beat him in the Kentucky Derby. Empire Maker is bred to be a champion. But Funny Cide was the best horse the first week in May."

Ten Most Wanted returned to California on Monday, and will train at Hollywood Park for his next start. Wally Dollase, Ten Most Wanted's trainer and co-owner, said Ten Most Wanted most likely will use Hollywood Park's Swaps Stakes on July 13 as a prep for the Travers. Dollase is desirous of returning to the Travers with Ten Most Wanted, a son of Deputy Commander, whom Dollase trained to a Travers victory in 1997.

"That's the biggest thrill I've ever had, winning that race by one inch," Dollase said.

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After Funny Cide's failed Triple Crown bid, Barclay Tagg said he felt terrible for all of the horse's supporters.

Funny Cide's name will not be written next to those of Citation, Secretariat, Seattle Slew, Affirmed, and Thoroughbred racing's seven other Triple Crown winners. But, Funny Cide's five-length loss to Empire Maker in Saturday's Belmont Stakes does not take away the fact the New York-bred won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness beforehand.

"He was good enough to run in all three legs of the Triple Crown, and he was a good enough horse to win two-thirds of it," Robin Smullen, the exercise rider of Funny Cide and the assistant to trainer Barclay Tagg, said Sunday morning. "When you walk out on the street and you talk to somebody who doesn't know anything about racing and ask them, 'What is the Kentucky Derby?' they say, 'Isn't that the greatest horse race in the world?' Then you say, 'What is the Belmont?' And they say, 'Huh?'

"He did a real big thing winning two legs of the Triple Crown and running third in the third leg of the Triple Crown," Smullen added. "We're real proud of him."

The high-decibel roar of the 101,864 faithful at soggy Belmont Park when Funny Cide walked onto the track demonstrated many others were proud of him, also.

Funny Cide had won the Derby and the Preakness by sitting third behind two speed horses and pouncing when ready. Saturday, Funny Cide was the speed of the six-horse Belmont field, and he dragged Jose Santos through six furlongs in 1:13.51. At that point, Tagg felt confident.

"Anytime you can get six furlongs in 1:13 and change you ought to be home free," Tagg said. "But, we weren't."

Santos said he felt Funny Cide did not handle the sloppy track that well and knew the race was over when Empire Maker and Jerry Bailey came to him at the half-mile pole.

"Empire Maker got next to me with a ton of horse, and I didn't have any fight," Santos said.

Santos was one of many who believed Funny Cide would excel on a sloppy track. He had run well in the Aqueduct mud in the Wood Memorial - finishing second to Empire Maker - and had twice worked super over a sloppy Belmont track.

"I was convinced he was going to do his best performance when the track was sloppy, but I guess I was wrong," Santos said.

Speaking of workouts, Smullen dismissed the notion that Funny Cide was compromised by his five-furlong workout in 57.92 seconds the Tuesday before the Belmont. Funny Cide was a bit rank in the early stages of the Belmont.

"The workout had absolutely nothing to do with it," Smullen said. "I think the lack of settling was because he couldn't handle the track and he wasn't comfortable with it, so he wasn't going to settle. Knowing the horse as well as I do, when he isn't comfortable with something he doesn't settle."

Tagg, who received an ovation at a local restaurant Saturday night when seeking the availability of a table, said he felt worse for the fans of Funny Cide than he did for himself.

"I felt absolutely terrible for the people that have been behind me so much and behind this horse not to be able to win it," Tagg said. "All you can do is get him there. At least we got him to all three races. A lot of people didn't."

Said Smullen: "Barclay takes it upon his shoulders to please the world, so he was disappointed that he couldn't please the world. That's a big thing to take on your shoulders."

Though Santos had to console his heart-broken children, Santos himself said he was prepared for the worst.

"I've been riding for 27 years, and I've had plenty of disappointments in my life and this was not the biggest disappointment in my life," he said. "How can you be disappointed with a horse that wins the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness?"

Funny Cide will be given two weeks to recover from the Triple Crown grind before returning to the track for a summer campaign. Monday, his shoes were removed and Funny Cide was turned out in a round pen, outside Tagg's barn, in which he rolled around for several minutes.

The tentative plans call for Funny Cide to be pointed to the $1 million Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park Aug. 3, and then the $1 million Travers at Saratoga Aug. 23. Written into the conditions of the Haskell is a $25,000 bonus to the owner and trainer of a classic winner that runs in the Haskell. Since Funny Cide won two classics, Tagg and the Sackatoga Stable would each receive $50,000 just for showing up.

The Travers is expected to reunite Funny Cide and Empire Maker, who is expected to prep in the $500,000 Jim Dandy Aug. 3.

"It's going to be a beautiful rematch," Santos said.

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Empire Maker, with Jerry Bailey up, beats Ten Most Wanted by three-quarters of a length to win the Belmont Stakes. For trainer Bobby Frankel, it was his first Triple Crown victory.

With seemingly all of the crowd of 101,864 at Belmont Park, all of New York, and perhaps the entire country rooting for New York-bred Funny Cide to win the Triple Crown, Empire Maker spoiled the party and threw mud in their eye.

Empire Maker, gaining redemption for losing as the favorite in the Kentucky Derby five weeks ago, took command from Funny Cide on the final turn and held off a courageous rally from Ten Most Wanted to win the 135th Belmont Stakes on a rainy, miserable afternoon. Empire Maker won by three-quarters of a length over Ten Most Wanted, with Funny Cide fading to third, 4 1/4 lengths behind Ten Most Wanted.

Funny Cide thus missed a chance to become the 12th Triple Crown winner. He also missed out on a $5 million bonus offered by Visa, the Triple Crown sponsor, to any horse who can sweep the Triple Crown.

Empire Maker ($6), who gave trainer Bobby Frankel his first victory in a Triple Crown race, got a tactically brilliant ride from jockey Jerry Bailey. After breaking from post 1, Bailey allowed Funny Cide and Scrimshaw to clear him, then took Empire Maker off the rail to get in a position to stalk Funny Cide.

Funny Cide, sent off the even-money favorite with jockey Jose Santos, led through fractions of 23.85 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 48.70 for a half-mile of the 1 1/2-mile race. Empire Maker was second at that point, outside Funny Cide and one length behind.

As the field went down the backside, Funny Cide continued to lead, and Empire Maker gradually narrowed the margin. After six furlongs in 1:13.51, Empire Maker was only a half-length back, and after a mile in 1:38.05, with a half-mile remaining, Funny Cide led by only a neck.

Bailey said he could have pounced at any time. "He," Bailey said, referring to Funny Cide, "was so rank with Jose I knew he'd wear himself out."

Bailey sent Empire Maker to the lead nearing the top of the stretch, moving past Funny Cide after 1 1/4 miles in 2:02.62.

Ten Most Wanted had been slowly creeping up on Funny Cide and Empire Maker, and he was sent after Empire Maker turning into the lane. Empire Maker ducked toward the rail, a habit he has shown when he makes the lead, but Bailey righted his course and got him to the wire in 2:28.26 for 1 1/2 miles on the sloppy track.

"This vindicates that he's the best horse," Frankel said.

Santos offered no excuses. "I wanted to win the Triple Crown for New York, but he was third-best today," Santos said.

Funny Cide had a swift workout of 57.82 seconds on Tuesday, but Barclay Tagg, his trainer, said he believed the work was not a factor in Funny Cide's loss. "It didn't have anything to do with it," Tagg said.

Empire Maker, a son of Unbridled out of the top mare Toussaud, was bred and is owned by the Juddmonte Farms of Prince Khalid Abdullah of Saudi Arabia. He has now won four times in seven starts, and he earned $600,000 from the Belmont's $1 million purse on Saturday.

In anticipation of the wet weather, Belmont's main track was sealed hours before the day's first race, and was listed as fast for the opener. Rain started to fall before the first race, however, causing the condition of the main track to be downgraded to good after the third race was run. The rain became much heavier around 2 p.m., when the fourth race was run, and the track was downgraded to sloppy for the sixth race; the fifth race was run on turf.

Funny Cide put himself in position to sweep the Triple Crown by becoming the 28th horse to win both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes. Eleven 3-year-olds had been able to complete the sweep by capturing the Belmont, but none since Affirmed in 1978. That 25-year gap equaled the longest in Triple Crown history, between Citation in 1948 and Secretariat in 1973.

Since Affirmed, nine horses - Spectacular Bid, Pleasant Colony, Alysheba, Sunday Silence, Silver Charm, Real Quiet, Charismatic, War Emblem, and Funny Cide - had managed to win the first two legs of the Triple Crown.

Funny Cide came into the Derby following a second-place finish to Empire Maker in the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct on April 12. Empire Maker was the hot favorite for the Derby, but his training for that race was compromised by a foot bruise he suffered the week of the race.

In the Derby stretch run, Funny Cide outfought both Empire Maker and his Frankel-trained stablemate Peace Rules to win by 1 3/4 lengths at 12-1. He became the first gelding to win the Derby since Clyde Van Dusen in 1929, and was the first New York-bred to win the race.

One week after the Derby, however, The Miami Herald ran a front-page story, with a photo, that insinuated Santos had carried an illegal electrical device in his right hand in the Derby. The story received nationwide attention from major media outlets. It was the lead story throughout the day on ESPN News, was picked up in papers throughout the country, and led the national news that night on NBC.

The story was quickly discredited. Thousands of photos of the race, as well as videotape of the stretch run from NBC's telecast, clearly showed nothing illegal in Santos's hand. He switched sticks in the stretch run, twirled the whip in his right hand after the race, then patted Funny Cide with his open right hand.

Still, Churchill Downs's stewards went ahead with a hearing on May 12, which Santos was required to attend. After the stewards pored over the evidence, Santos was rightly exonerated.

The story might have had an unintended benefit. Interest in the Preakness was piqued in casual sports fans, who wanted to see how the horse who won the Derby, and his jockey, would do in the second leg of the Triple Crown.

Funny Cide answered with an emphatic, brilliant performance. He raced Peace Rules into defeat coming off the final turn, then drew away powerfully to win by 9 3/4 lengths, the largest margin in the Preakness since the advent of the photo-finish camera.

Funny Cide was now the toast of the nation. Fans young and old knew his name. His story was told on David Letterman's show, CNBC, and "Kudlow and Cramer." He had a website. T-shirts and souvenir buttons were printed with his image. And fans gravitated to his everyman owners, the Sackatoga Stable, a group of 10 men - including six friends who had attended high school together in Sackets Harbor, N.Y. - who purchased Funny Cide for $75,000.

- additional reporting by Matt Hegarty