Empire Maker earlier had defeated Funny Cide, a Distorted Humor gelding, by a half-length in the Wood Memorial Stakes (G1)—a margin Frankel and Bailey still maintain could have been much larger if Empire Maker had been pushed for more run.

"I think my horse is the best horse," Bailey said. "He won the Wood with five or six lengths to spare."

Yeah,well maybe you shoulda,that may have discouraged Funny Cide's connections from going to the Derby and and kicking the crap out of you!Anybody else gettig tired of Bailey's rhetoric.As I recall, Bailey was ready to jump ship to Vindication but lucked out when that one was injured.