In the Hoofprints of a Kentucky Derby Contender

Payson Park Training Center

Like snowbirds, promising two year old race horses head south in the fall, usually after the Breeders’ Cup. Many wind up at Palm Meadows Training Center in Delray Beach, Florida or farther north at Payson Park in Indiantown.

Iron Maidens Thoroughbreds will follow the up-and-coming colt To Honor and Serve throughout the winter and spring to give horse fans an idea of the intense preparation needed to get a horse through the Triple Crown prep races. Since To Honor and Serve is still in New York, we’ll review his bloodlines and determine if his pedigree indicates if he can go 1 ¼ miles and longer.

To Honor and Serve as a yearling

To Honor and Serve began his life on March 18, 2008 and was bred by Twin Creeks Farm, Larry Byer and Rancho San Miguel in Kentucky’s bluegrass region. The good-looking colt fetched $250,000 as a 2008 Keeneland November weanling and commanded $575,000 from Live Oak Plantation as a Keeneland September Yearling.

Sent to Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, To Honor and Serve began his career on August 4 in a seven furlong dirt maiden race at Saratoga. He found the distance a little too shot, but managed a sharp second place finish to the well regarded Astrology, who would later capture the Iroquois Stakes (G-3) at Churchill. Stretching out to 1 1/16 miles on October 2, To Honor and Serve made short work of a large field of maidens.

To Honor and Serve Maiden Win October 2, 2010

A month later while all eyes were watching Uncle Mo defeat a nice group of colts in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Churchill Downs, To Honor and Serve was quietly crushing an average field of two year olds in the Nashua Stakes (G-2) at Aqueduct. In the Nashua, To Honor and Serve went to the lead and never looked back. He ran a mile in 1.35.86, getting the last quarter in 23.76, while under a mild hand ride.

 Bill Mott, the bay colt’s trainer, elected to keep To Honor and Serve out of the Breeders’ Cup because of the colt’s light racing experience.
 

Nashua Stakes (G-2)

Bernardini

To Honor and Serve has a pedigree that bodes well for next year’s Classics. He is by freshman sire Bernardini out of the Deputy Minister mare Pilfer. Bernardini, a son of A.P. Indy, raced for only one year and made it count. He had the speed to win the Withers’ Stakes at a mile, the Preakness Stakes at 1 3/16 miles and proved himself to be the top three year old with victories in the Jim Dandy at 1 1/8 miles and Travers Stakes at 1 ¼ miles. In the fall, Bernardini defeated his elders in the Jockey Club Gold Cup, but his racing schedule caught up to him in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, where he finished second to Invasor. 

 At stud, Bernardini is passing his class and talent on to his offspring. Besides To Honor and Serve, the first crop sire’s progeny includes Group 1 winner Biondetti, Grade 1 winner AZ Warrior and graded/group stakes placed Theyskens’ Theory and Stay Thirsty.

Deputy Minster, Honor and Serve’s dam sire, won multiple graded stakes from five furlongs to 1 1/8 miles and was second in the Meadowlands Handicap (G-1) at 1 ¼ miles. In 1981, he earned acclaim as Horse of the Year and Champion Two Year Old Male in Canada, and Champion Two Year old Male in the USA.

Deputy Minister - Photo: Tony Leonard

Deputy Minster failed to win past 1 1/8 miles, but many of his offspring didn’t have distance limitations. He produced Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Awesome Again, Kentucky Oaks heroine Keeper Hill, Belmont Stakes winner Touch Gold and Travers Stakes winner Deputy Commander. The remarkable fillies Go For Wand Open Mind and precocious colt Dehere captured Eclipse Awards as Juveniles.

Deputy Minster was a very good sire, toping the leader board in 1997-1998, but he really distinguished himself as a broodmare sire and captured leading broodmare sire honors in 2007. The daughters of Deputy Minster have produced 82 stakes winners, including Belmont Stakes winners Rages to Riches, Jazil and Savara, Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies winner Halfbridled, Horse of the Year Curlin, turf star and top sire Redattore.

To Honor and Serve ‘s dam Pilfer won the 1 1/16 mile Go For Wand Stakes and placed in the Instant Racing Breeders' Cup Stakes at a mile. She raced three years with an overall record of 11-3-2-0 and earnings of $126,360. Pilfer made two starts as a juvenile, wining and placing respectively. She won one sprint, and two routes including a win over an off track. Pilfer is a half sister to the swift multiple stakes winning sprinter India. To Honor and Serve’s second dam was a stakes winner and finished second in the Grade 2 Fantasy Stakes.

To Honor and Serve’s distaff family 4-r is one of the most prolific in the breed. His fourth dam Java Moon is a blue hen (superior female) and her daughters have produced Memories of Silver and her daughter, recent Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf placed runner Winter Memories. Other branches of this family have given us Kentucky Derby winner Monarchos, international sires Dynaformer and Runaway Groom, and the great Zenyatta.

To Honor and Serve - Photo: Coglianese

To Honor and Serve is being pointed to the Remsen Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on November 27. Afterward, he will likely join trainer Bill Mott’s stable at Payson Park for the winter. On paper, To Honor and Serve has a shot to become a legitimate Triple Crown contender and so far has proven to have the talent to be competitive in next year’s prep races. Starting in December, Iron Maidens Thoroughbreds will follow To Honor and Serve’s progress at Payson Park with videos and weekly reports throughout the winter. Until then, we will post weekly reviews of other promising juveniles that may wind up on the Triple Crown Trail.

Breeders’ Cup Watch List of Promising Juveniles

No matter how quickly today’s two year old runners become stars, they can quickly disappear from view by tomorrow. That’s simply the nature of juvenile racing. It’s wise to start a watch list from mid-summer through the end of the year to become familiar with the up and comers.

Last week, the racing world was buzzing with the dominating performances by Position Limit in the Adirondack Stakes and Kantharos in the Saratoga Special. But does anyone remember the dominating performances of last year’s winners? How about their names?

For the record, last year Worstcasescenario cruised home by 4 ½ lengths in the Adirondack and wasn’t heard from again until her three year old season when she placed in two turf races. D’Funnybone was a runaway winner of last year’s Saratoga Special and he fared a bit better, carving out a niche as a nice sprinter this year as a three year old.

The following list could have Breeders’ Cup implications and become the basis for next year’s Triple Crown hopefuls. The watch list articles will be on-going throughout the year. Below are a few talented youngsters that may compete in up-coming stakes races.

While Position Limit was dazzling, keep an eye on Alienation(Rock Hard Ten – Alienated, by Gone West). She put up a fight to win her five furlong debut over Hollywood’s turf course, and then traveled east to take on winners over the dirt. Alienation pressed swift opening fractions of :21 3/5 and :45, and still gave a brief challenge to Position Limit when the other pace pressers backed up. Alienation’s sire won over dirt, but as we predicted in last year’s Sire Guide, he’s starting to make a name for himself as a producer of turf and synthetic track runners that need time to mature. Alienation’s dam won over dirt and placed on the turf and some very good runners have descended from this distaff family including 2006 Champion European Two Year Old Teofilo. If she can rate, Alienation will be one to watch as she matures and adds distance. Time will tell whether dirt or turf is her best surface, or if she’ll become one of the good fillies that can run over anything.

Smash

Bob Baffert continues to open the stable doors and unleash his herd of pricey babies. Smash(Smart Strike – Dixie Holiday, by Dixieland Band) could be one to watch. A $400K purchase at 2010 OBSC March Select Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale, Smash is a half brother to Holiday Runner, winner of two stakes races as a juvenile. The dam is a half sibling two stakes placed runners. Smash won his five furlong debut on July 18 over the Hollywood Cushion Track by 2 ½ lengths in :57 4/5 without being asked. The bay colt sat off the pace three wide, cruised past the front running leader without being asked and won professionally.

Awesome Feather - Photo: Jim Lisa

In Florida, a state known for producing precocious juveniles, Awesome Feather (Awesomeofcourse – Precious Feather, by Gone West) reigns undefeated at Calder after winning the JJ’s Dream and Desert Vixen Stakes. Awesome Feather is descended from a family of stakes winners. Although her sire is fairly obscure and won only a couple of minor sprint stakes races, Awesome Feather’s dam Precious Feather was a multiple stakes winner and her second dam Last Feather was a Group 3 winner in France. Third dam Quill was champion two year old filly and blue hen. Awesome Feather may appear in the next leg of the Florida Stallion Stakes series, The Brave Raj on September 28.

Stay Thirsty - EclipseSportswire

Meanwhile at Saratoga, we selected the winner of the eighth race on July 14 in our Play of the Day at Horse Racing Nation. Stay Thirsty(Bernardini – Marozina, by Storm Bird) was the only horse in the race with experience and he cruised to a sensational 5 ½ length victory over a well-bred group of maidens, including Heisman, the full brother to Any Given Saturday. Stay Thirsty is a half brother to freshman sire Andromeda’s Hero and his precocious full brother Superfly. His pedigree indicates that he’ll love stretching out and he should improve with maturity.

Sensational Slam Photo Crystal Jones

Speaking of sensational, don’t let Sensational Slam (Grand Slam – Roman Romance, by San Romano) pass you by. The Bobby Flay owned, Todd Pletcher trained colt is undefeated in two starts, both stakes wins at Woodbine. A $240K OBS Select Two Year Old, Sensational Slam has a fantastic pedigree. His dam is a multiple stakes winning sprinter and he can trace his distaff family directly back to Best In Show, through her daughter Sex Appeal. Sex Appeal is a half sister to Blush With Pride, the granddam of Rags to Riches. Several champions were produced from this family including Peeping Fawn, Aldebaran, Spinning World, Domedriver, etc.

Sensational Slam has Rasmussen Factor inbreeding (inbred to a superior mare within five generations) to two excellent dams. As mentioned, he traces back to Sex Appeal and she produced Sensational Slam’s fourth dam, Northern Prancer a full sister to El Gran Senor, who is Gone West’s damsire.

The second inbreeding is to Tamerett. She is Gone West’s second dam, and she produced Tentam, the second sire of San Romano. For now, Sensational Slam is beating up on the Canadian Colts, but he could venture south of the border as the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile draws near.


Next week, we’ll review other promising juveniles on the road to the Breeders’ Cup.