As game as he was in the Kentucky Derby and as brilliant as he was in the Preakness, Funny Cide still hasn't answered every question. He got a perfect trip in the Derby on a day when Empire Maker didn't deliver with his best. In the Preakness, Peace Rules threw in a stinker and the rest of the field simply wasn't that good. That's not to say that he's not a very good horse. It's just that he's going to have to prove it in the Belmont, a race so packed with quality that no questions will be left unanswered. If Funny Cide can win this race, there will be nothing phony about his achievement. He will have deserved to win the Triple Crown.

Does it get any better than this? The New York-bred gelding whose story everyone loves because he is an overachiever and is owned by people who are not fabulously wealthy, has swept the first two legs of the Triple Crown but has yet to win over every skeptic. The only way he can join a list of 11 immortals is to run the race of his life against a murderers'  row of opponents. The stands will be buzzing with electricity and filled to the rafters. For at least one day, a horse race will be the biggest sports story going. It will be about the quest for a Triple Crown and the toughest challenge of a horse's career.

One of the wonderful things about the Triple Crown is that it is so difficult to win and somehow the undeserving always find a way to fall short.  No one ever comes along and gets lucky, cheapening the accomplishment in the process.  That's one of the reasons no one has won in 25 years.  Funny Cide may have had more than his fair share of breaks in the first two races, but the party is over. 

He will not win the Belmont Stakes unless he is a great horse who is clearly superior to his rivals. Is he? That remains to be seen. He might be the third or fourth best horse in the race?

Is he better than Empire Maker? After Empire Maker finished second in the Kentucky Derby, Bobby Frankel and Jerry Bailey were quick to state their opinion that they still believed they had the better horse. Their argument is not a specious one. Empire Maker dominated Funny Cide in the Wood Memorial, beating his rival by a half-length without feeling the sting of Bailey's whip. In the Kentucky Derby, Empire Maker lost considerable ground on both turns when racing wide and had missed a day of training due to his infamous bruised hoof. That could not have helped.

Now, he will meet Funny Cide, whose sire was a sprinter, at a mile and a half, perhaps the perfect distance for such a classically bred horse. And since the Derby, Empire Maker has had five weeks off, while Funny Cide had another grueling race. Advantage, Empire Maker.

"The longer between races, the better it is for me," Frankel said.

Is he better than Dynever? Who knows how good this horse is. He hasn't faced anybody yet and has run only four times, but he gives the appearance that he is a star in the making. He looked terrific in the Lone Star Derby in which he overcame all sorts of traffic problems.

And what about Atswhatimtalknbout? He looks like a perfect fit for the Belmont. Trainer Ron Ellis had to rush him to make the Derby, but the horse was still good enough to finish a fast-closing fourth. He's had five weeks off since, just enough time to rest up and be ready for a much improved effort. And he's another one who should love the Belmont's distance.

Barclay Tagg, Funny Cide's pessimistic trainer who seems to have forgotten how to smile, has grown more confident with each day. Sunday, he was all but trash talking.

"I'm not going to worry about the other horses," he said. "I think they have to beat this horse now. I don't think he has to beat them. I'm not going to lie awake at night worrying about Empire Maker."

Tagg knows he has a good horse who is at the top of his game. But will that be enough? The short answer is, no. As good as Funny Cide was in the Preakness, he may have to be better in the Belmont. The Triple Crown is there waiting for him at Belmont Park. There will be no excuses. Go ahead and earn it.