By Chris Duncan
The Associated Press

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Peace Rules has been trainer Bobby Frankel's most consistent 3-year-old, yet the colt has been overshadowed by stablemate Empire Maker.

That could change Saturday if Peace Rules wins the Blue Grass Stakes and Empire Maker can't handle a wet track in the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct.

"He's the muscle," Frankel's assistant Humberto Ascanio said on Friday, watching Peace Rules walk outside his barn. "He's done everything very well."

While Empire Maker moved into the role as Kentucky Derby favorite with his Florida Derby win, Peace Rules has built a three-race winning streak.

The chestnut colt owned by Edmund Gann has won on the turf and on the dirt, taking the Louisiana Derby on March 9 by 2 1/4 lengths in his only start this year.

"Let's not forget about Peace Rules," Frankel said at Aqueduct, where he'll saddle Empire Maker for Juddmonte Farms. "He's really a nice horse and I'd be very high on him if he was the only one I had in the barn."

Peace Rules, with Edgar Prado aboard, takes on nine challengers in the 1 1/8-mile Blue Grass. He leaves from the No. 2 post, a favorable spot for a colt who likes to run on the lead.

Frankel and Gann, who have worked together for more than 20 years, teamed up last year with Medaglia d'Oro, who finished fourth in the Derby.

Peace Rules' first three starts for Frankel were on the turf. But the colt has been training so well on dirt that the Hall of Fame trainer figured he'd try the Louisiana Derby.

"Bobby knew," Ascanio said. "He found out this horse could run either way."

In that race, Peace Rules showed he was a horse to be reckoned with.

"For the first time, he relaxed so well," Ascanio said. "He was pulling, but he was also relaxed, settled. If he relaxes the same way, he'll be really tough."

Badge of Silver, the 2-1 second choice who finished sixth in the Louisiana Derby, is looking to return to the form he showed in winning the Risen Star by 10 lengths.

Offlee Wild, who won the Holy Bull in January, is the 6-1 third choice on the morning line. The Wild Again colt will be ridden by Pat Day, Keeneland's all-time leading rider and a four-time Blue Grass winner.

Next in the betting is the Patrick Biancone-trained Brancusi, at 8-1. The Michael Tabor-owned Deputy Commander colt needed five starts to break his maiden, but finished a strong third in last month's San Felipe at Santa Anita. Tony Farina gets the call for the fourth straight time.

The rest of the field is Acceptable Venture, Crowned Dancer, Great Notion, Ten Cents a Shine, Lion Tamer and Lots of Sizzle.

If 10 start, the field would be the largest since 11 started in the 1992 Blue Grass. The last Blue Grass winner to take the Derby was Strike the Gold in 1991.

Royal Spy pulls upset in Maker's Mile

Royal Spy, an 11-1 outsider, never trailed after setting the early pace to win Friday's featured $200,000 Grade II Maker's Mark Mile for 4-year-olds and up at Keeneland.

The 5-year-old son of Peteski covered the mile on firm turf in 1:35.82 with Robby Albarado riding and paid $25.20, $11.60 and $6.

Miesque's Approval was 1 1/4 lengths back in second and paid $5.20 and $3.80. Touch of the Blues was another 1 3/4 lengths back in third and paid $3.60.

Royal Spy, trained by Tom Amoss, improved his career record to 9-0-3 in 21 starts and earned $124,000 for owners V.D. and K.K. Jayaraman. The colt increased his lifetime total to $584,955.