SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. -- The rematch is on, or is it?

Racing fans were left wondering Wednesday whether Funny Cide and Empire Maker would stage their Saratoga showdown Saturday in the Travers even though both were entered in the $1 million race.

Trainer Barclay Tagg said there's a "75 percent" chance his Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner will run -- a day after saying his New York-bred gelding was a "highly unlikely" starter.

Trainer Bobby Frankel said Empire Maker coughed a few days ago, so he pulled a surprise by entering Peace Rules as an "insurance policy." Only one of his colts will run.

What does it all mean?

Best case scenario is Funny Cide draws a record crowd for his hometown track debut and gets a chance to avenge his loss to Empire Maker in the Belmont.

Worst case has both being scratched, which would be a huge letdown, and leaving Haskell winner Peace Rules meeting the five other 3-year-olds entered -- Strong Hope, Sky Mesa, Ten Most Wanted, Congrats and Wild and Wicked.

Horses can be scratched until 45 minutes before a race. Post time for the Travers is 6:25 p.m. ET.

Funny Cide had another blood sample taken Wednesday, and Tagg awaits the results. From there, it's still day-to-day. Tagg entered Funny Cide after the horse came back well from a Tuesday workout. It was his first since he was hit with a fever Aug. 4, one day after finishing third in the Haskell.

"He seems to be doing pretty nicely," Tagg said. "He came out of his last race pretty down and we're trying to build him back up."

As always, the trainer was at his pessimistic best, adding, "I'm not real keen on running this horse in a hard race in hot weather."

But the 1 1/4-mile Travers is the last $1 million race for 3-year-olds this year, and Sackatoga Stable, the 10-member ownership group headed by local hero Jack Knowlton, is anxious to see his horse run.

"He's won two legs of the Triple Crown and to come back and win the Travers, another Grade 1 in our back yard, would be fabulous," Knowlton said.

Tagg may be feeling pressure to run Funny Cide, but he sounded like he's not about to chance the Travers unless his horse is perfectly sound.

"It's kind of a push to get him into this race," Tagg said. "You hate to miss the Travers, hate to miss a million dollar race. But you've got to do what's best for the horse or he might miss the rest of the year."

Frankel doesn't seem bothered by Empire Maker's cough. He said the colt did the same thing before the Jim Dandy Stakes _ but Empire Maker was second to Strong Hope in the Aug. 3 race at Saratoga. The Hall of Famer laughed off rumors Empire Maker was running a temperature.

"There's been so many rumors going around about Empire Maker, I started to believe them, so I got some insurance," Frankel said of his decision to enter Peace Rules. "But everything's good on him."

Empire Maker has a 2-1 edge over Funny Cide, with wins in the Wood Memorial and Belmont. The Juddmonte Farms colt was second to Funny Cide in the Derby.

Peace Rules and Empire Maker are 2-all in their meetings _ Peace Rules won the Louisiana Derby and Haskell, Funny Cide the Derby and Preakness.

The entry of Empire Maker and Peace Rules was the 8-5 morning line favorite, Funny Cide next at 3-1.

Despite different owners, the entry was still coupled because only one horse will run and jockey Jerry Bailey was named to ride both horses.

The field, from the rail out, is: Congrats (Mike Luzzi, 15-1); Strong Hope (John Velazquez, 4-1); Peace Rules (Bailey, 8-5); Ten Most Wanted (Pat Day, 6-1); Empire Maker (Bailey, 8-5); Wild and Wicked (Shane Sellers, 20-1); Funny Cide (Jose Santos, 3-1); and Sky Mesa (Edgar Prado, 4-1).

PP	HORSE	TRAINER	JOCKEY	NYRA ODDS
1	CONGRATS	S. McGaughey	M. Luzzi	15-1
2	STRONG HOPE	T. Pletcher	J. Velazquez	4-1
3	PEACE RULES	B. Frankel	J. Bailey	8-5
4	TEN MOST WANTED	W. Dollase	P. Day	6-1
5	EMPIRE MAKER	B. Frankel	J. Bailey	8-5
6	WILD AND WICKED	K. McPeek	S. Sellers	20-1
7	FUNNY CIDE	B. Tagg	J. Santos	3-1
8	SKY MESA	J. Ward	E. Prado	4-1