Peace Rules

Peace Rules (bred and foaled in Florida at Newchance Farm on April 26, 2000), is a multiple Grade I winning American Thoroughbred race horse. By Jules (a "black type" winner and classic sire in Brazil, Peace Rules grandsire was Forty Niner, a son of the great sire producing stallion, Mr. Prospector, a Leading sire in North America. His dam, Hold To Fashion, has dropped five foals, all winners. Peace Rules is by far the best.

Born into topnotch competition

Initially trained as a juvenile by Gary Contessa, he broke his maiden in a four length romp on the turf. He was then sold to Edmund A. Gann and transferred to the Hall of Famer Robert Frankel, Peace Rules had won five times in nine starts before he met Funny Cide in the 2003 Kentucky Derby. Overshadowed in Frankel’s barn by Empire Maker, Frankel’s pick to win that year’s Derby, Peace Rules had won the Grade II Louisiana Derby, beating Funny Cide (second after a late rally), before Empire Maker had won a single stakes race. He then won the Grade I Blue Grass Stakes gate to wire, beating Offlee Wild.

The 2003 Classics

Peace Rules was often ridden by jockey Edgar Prado who won the 2006 Kentucky Derby on the ill-fated Barbaro. In 2003, Prado believed he might be sitting on the winner of at least one of the classics.

Coming into the Derby, Empire Maker was the “chalk” (horse racing term for favorite, taken from the days of a bookmakers chalking the odds on blackboards). Both of Frankel's Derby entries were beaten by the longshot Funny Cide, but Peace Rules had led for over a mile and still held tough to take third place and a check for $110,000.

In the Preakness Stakes Peace Rules was the heavy second choice on the morning-line at 8-5 behind only the Derby winner in a full field of twelve colts. Peace Rules had a fantastic break from the gate and shot to the lead as the field passed the stands for the first time. Scrimshaw pressed Peace Rules forcing a quickened pace as Funny Cide and Cherokee's Boy sat just a few lengths back going into the club-house turn. As the field raced across the entire backstretch Peace Rules and Funny Cide raced one-two. Coming out of the far turn, Midway Road skimmed up along the rail to challenge the leaders. Running at break neck speed, Funny Cide found a new gear and increased his lead winning by 9-3/4 lengths. Midway Road overtook Peace Rules for second and Peace Rules held on to third by a neck over Scrimshaw. The brisk first quarter mile in 23.07 over a track rated "good," but which was actually muddy, compromised Peace Rules chances. Peace Rules weakened late from his earlier pacesetting effort and finished a gutsy third in the Preakness.

Late career

Then he came back with strong performances in the summer months of his sophomore campaign. Peace Rules won the grade one Haskell Invitational Handicap, beating both Sky Mesa and Funny Cide at Monmouth Park during the first week of August. Then he shipped north and placed second in the grade one Travers Stakes behind Ten Most Wanted at Saratoga Race Course on the last Saturday of August.

In 2004, at four years of age, he won the Grade II New Orleans Handicap beating both Saint Liam and Funny Cide, the Grade II Oaklawn Handicap again beating Saint Liam, and took the Grade I Suburban Handicap by a neck in a thrilling three horse duel of Funny Cide and Newfoundland. In 2004, he made the cut and was listed in World's top 30 horses in the 2004 World Thoroughbred Racehorse Rankings.

Peace Rules at stud

Peace Rules retired in 2004 to stand at Vinery Stables in Summerfield, Florida. His first winner was Trifecta King, a filly who took Hollywood Park Racetrack's Cinderella Stakes in 2008.

In October 2009 he was sold to the Korea Racing Authority to stand at the KRA’S Jeju Stud Farm. As of late 2009 he has sired the stakes winners: Trifecta King (as mentioned above), Peace Town, and Izzy Rules.

References

• Peace Rules's pedigree and racing stats
• Peace Rules at Vinery
• Stallion Directory – Peace Rules
• YouTube Peace Rule's Suburban