Formidable Field In Florida

In the last ten years, the Florida Derby has showcased the talents of Monarchos, Barbaro and Big Brown. All three were brilliant winners weeks later in Kentucky. Empire Maker and Ice Box were successful in Florida but were second-best in Kentucky, while the swift Quality Road discovered he was superior at 1 1/8 miles and not one step farther.
This year’s Florida Derby field appears to be the strongest in years, and it would be no surprise if one of the contestants becomes a Kentucky Derby hero.
The dominating conqueror of the Fountain of Youth, SOLDAT (War Front – Le Relais, by Coronados Quest) clearly loves the Gulfstream surface and is the best representative of his second crop sire. Soldat has a speed over stamina pedigree with a mix of dirt and turf attributes. His second crop sire, a son of Danzig, is a Grade 2 winning dirt sprinter while damsire Coronado’s Quest won the Travers Stakes. Second damsire Apalachee was a Champion sprinting juvenile in Europe. Soldat is the deserving favorite in the Florida Derby.
A surprising and distant third against Soldat in the Fountain Of Youth, TO HONOR AND SERVE (Bernardini – Pilfer, by Deputy Minister clearly needed the race. He has a pedigree well-suited to the Classic distances and the Bill Mott Trainee has been working spectacularly over the deep Payson Park surface and should be stronger the second time around.
Uncle Mo’s stable mate STAY THIRSTY (Bernardini – Marozina, by Storm Bird) strode out of his famous stable mate Uncle Mo’s shadow and easily beat a second-rate group in the Gotham Stakes (G-3). Stay Thirsty has a stamina oriented pedigree perfect for the Classics. He is a half brother to freshman sire Andromeda’s Hero and his precocious full brother Superfly. Stay Thirsty adds blinkers to keep him focused and we should get a good indication of how good he is in the Florida Derby.
The Holy Bull (G-3) winner DIALED IN (Mineshaft - Miss Doolittle, by Storm Cat) regressed slightly in his Florida Derby prep race, but he still ran a strong race over a surface that plays against his running style. He’s a half-brother to Astoria Stakes (5F) winner Broadway Gold and turf stakes placed runner Mambo Meister. His dam was third in the Schuylerville Stakes (G-3) and Eliza, the second dam won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies and was second in the Kentucky Oaks. Dialed In should get a strong pace to set up his stretch run.
SHACKLEFORD (Forestry – Oatsee, by Unbridled) Like Soldat, Shackleford had no response in the Fountain Of Youth after a good win previously against allowance company. Shackleford has a speed over stamina pedigree. He’s a half-brother to Alabama Stakes (G-1) heroine Lady Joanne and Grade 2 winner Baghdaria. His dam and second dam are both stakes winners. His sire Forestry has produced two dirt stakes winners at 1 1/8 miles, Discreet Cat and Etched. Shackleford and Etched have similar breeding as both have Unbridled sire line dams.
BOWMAN'S CAUSEWAY (Giant’s Causeway – Victory Encounter, by Victory Speech) was thrown into graded stakes competition only two weeks after winning his maiden. The Patrick Biancone trainee has a stamina oriented pedigree and his dam won four stakes races, including the Vanity Handicap (G-1) at 1 1/8 miles. Bowman’s Causeway raced evenly against speedier rivals in his one mile prep for the Florida Derby. Like Dialed In, bowman’s Causeway is hindered by a speed favoring track, but if he wants to buy his ticket to Kentucky, he must overcome the bias and win here.
FLASHPOINT (Pomeroy - Two Punch Lil, by Two Punch) made short work of a nice group of sprinters in the Hutchinson Stakes (G-2) and will try to stretch his front-running speed an extra two furlongs. Flashpoint has a sprinter/miler pedigree. So far, his second crop sire’s offspring have failed to win at 1 1/8 miles. Pomeroy’s best representative on the track is El Camino Real Derby winner Positive Response. Flashpoint’s dam won half of her eight starts, including a stakes race. She is inbred to the blue hen Raise You through her third sire Raise A Native and his full sister, Toast Of The Town, who is Two Punch’s third dam. The pretty gray Flashpoint will has the difficult task of breaking on the far outside.
A newcomer to the Derby trail, ARCH TRAVELER (Sky Mesa – Mettle, by Silver Deputy) has won his last two races, including a win at 1 1/8 miles. Five of his sire’s progeny have been successful in stakes at 1 1/8 miles; all have stamina-oriented female families. Silver Deputy is the damsire of four winners at 1 1/8 miles. Three out of four of Arch Traveler’s siblings of racing age are winners. His dam won three of eight starts sprinting over dirt and she’s a half-sister to a couple of Japanese stakes winners. Arch Traveler won’t get easy fractions in this race and may become a pace casualty.
SELECTIONS:
How the track is playing: 67% pace setters/pressers have won this meet, with 38% going wire-to-wire. Outside posts are at a disadvantage with the first turn just yards from the starting gate. Weather should be beautiful as always and the track should be fast.
This year’s Florida Derby has a plethora of speed and there will be a likely traffic jam around the first turn and down the backstretch. The horses nearest the rail should have the best trip. SOLDAT and TO HONOR AND SERVE can handle a quick pace and still be strong in the final furlong. If DIALED IN doesn’t have to go too wide around the final turn, he’ll mow down the tiring field and should get a piece of it. STAY THIRSTY will get a real class test and it will be no surprise to see his nose on the wire first. If BOWMAN’S CAUSEWAY can get a decent trip, he could round out the exotics at long odds. SHACKLEFORD and ARCH TRAVELER have wins at 1 1/8 miles against lesser company. Their pedigrees indicate this is as far as they’ll want to run and their forward running styles could have them going the wrong way when the real running begins. FLASHPOINT is a sprinter and will be looking for an Oxygen tank after a mile.
#2 TO HONOR AND SERVE
#1 SOLDAT
#7 DIALED IN
#6 STAY THIRSTY
#4 BOWMAN’S CAUSEWAY – longshot pick

Remsen Stakes (G-2) Pedigree Profiles and Handicapping Selections

The historical Remsen Stakes (G-2) has been run consecutively since 1918 and several winners competed successfully in the Spring Classics. In the last twenty years, two Kentucky Derby heroes completed the Remsen/Derby double and Pine Bluff notched a Remsen/Preakness double. 2005 Remsen victor Bluegrass Cat was second in the Derby and 2002 Remsen third place finisher Empire Maker won the Belmont. Get more Juvenile Stakes race selections on Iron Maidens Thoroughbreds website.

To Honor And Serve: Photo - Coglianese

This year, two highly regarded sons of the fantastic freshman sire Bernardini are scheduled to take on five other colts in the Remsen Stakes. The likely favorite To Honor and Serve (Bernardini – Pilfer, by Deputy Minister) has demolished his competition by over 12 lengths in his last two races, including the Grade 2 Nashua. To Honor and Serve has a pedigree that bodes well for next year’s Classics. Read more about him in our November 10 blog posting.

Buffum (inside) Photo: Coglianese

The other well-regarded colt who may go to the post as the second choice in the betting is Buffum (Bernardini – Storm Beauty, by Storm Cat). The Tom Albertrani trainee sat off of a swift :45 2/5 half mile and took the lead at the top of the stretch. He raced greenly in mid-stretch, ducking out from a left handed whip, but held off the second place finisher by a nose. Buffum is a half brother to multiple stakes winner Stormy West and brought to you by the family of Champion Sprinter Gold Beauty (dam of Dajur and Maplejinsky and grand-dam to Champion Older Mare Sky Beauty), Multiple Grade 1 winners Pine Island, Pleasant Home, and Tale of Ekati. Buffum‘s second, fourth and fifth dams are blue hens. Buffum had a strong five furlong breeze for this race.
Two horses that contested the Nashua Stakes will aim for better results in the Remsen. Mucho Macho Man (Macho Uno – Ponche De Leona, by Ponche) offered no challenge to Honor And Serve in the Nashua, but his speed figures have been improving. He probably won’t want to go farther than 1 1/16 miles. His sire has a few winners at 1 1/8 miles, but produces mostly miler types. Mucho Macho Man’s dam and damsire are stakes winning sprinters.

Economic Summit - Photo: Coglianese

Economic Summit (Malibu Moon – Summit Lite, by Mt. Livermore) was a distant fifth in the Nashua after winning his maiden by a length. He has a stamina over speed pedigree and may find the distance a half-furlong too far. His dam is a half sister to Grade 3 turf winner Strategic Partner. Second dam Very Special Lite set a new course record for a mile in 1:33.60 at Keeneland. The graded stakes winning miler Two Step Salsa was produced by this distaff family.

Bandbox - Photo: Coglianese

Many eyes will be on Bandbox (Tapit – Empty The Bases, by Grand Slam). The pretty gray colt is undefeated and has won his three races by over ten lengths, including the Sleepy Hollow Stakes for state-breds. Bandbox will be stretching from a sprint to 1 1/8 miles, which could be within his range, but he probably won’t want to go much farther. Tapit has some Grade 2 winning colts, but his most talented offspring are fillies and he has only three stakes winners at 1 1/8 miles. Bandbox has no blacktype in the first two generations, but his third dam won a couple of stake races. Many of his dam’s half siblings made 10 or more starts.
The well-bred Mountain Town (Cape Town – Mountain Bird, by Mt. Livermore) was a distant second in the Champange Stakes (G-1) to eventual Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner Uncle Mo. Mountain Town is a product of the Whitney family breeding program. His dam is a graded stakes placed half sister to Belmont Stakes winner Birdstone and Kentucky Oaks winner Bird Town his second dam Dear Birdie was the 2004 Broodmare of the Year. Mountain Town has worked well but his pedigree indicates that he’ll be better at shorter distances.
Pants On Fire (Jump Start – Cabo De Noche, by Cape Town) took three tries to win his maiden, but got the job done against softer company over a sloppy track at Delaware. The Kelly Breen trainee has a stamina over speed pedigree. His sire Jump Start, a well bred son of A.P. Indy, produced Grade 2 winners Rail Trip and Sir Whimsey. His offspring are generally best at a mile and farther. Cape Town generally gets sprinters, but his speed is tempered by the stamina influence of third damsire Bates Motel. Pants On Fire’s dam is a half sister to stakes winning sprinters Hatfield and Key Hunter. Pants On Fire’s speed figures have improved with every start.
Selections:
How the track is playing: So far, only two races have been held at the 1 1/8 mile distance at Aqueduct this meet. Both were won by pace setter/pressers on the rail, typical for this track.
To Honor And Serve has already bested two entrants and is the only graded stakes winner in the field. Mucho Man and Pants On Fire may try to press the pace while the rest sit in varying positions behind Bandbox may post the strongest threat to the top horse. Bandbox has stakes experience and his off the pace running style could help. His pedigree is borderline for this distance. Buffum will get plenty of attention off of his maiden win. His pedigree suggests that this distance might not be within his scope and he may be overbet. Mountain Town was no match for the best two year old colt in the nation, but meets a softer group here. He could also find the distance too far, but his stalking running style can help. Mucho Macho Man’s speed figures have improved with every race and he can move forward in his second start off of a brief layoff.
To Honor And Serve
Bandbox
Buffum
Mucho Macho Man - longshot

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.