Florida Derby a Rematch for To Honor and Serve vs. Soldat

by Steve Davidowitz | Mar 31 2011

When the year began, TO HONOR AND SERVE was considered by many racing experts to be the most serious, most logical potential challenger to 2-year-old Champion UNCLE MO for this year's Kentucky Derby.

Then came To Honor and Serve's disappointing third place finish behind  front running SOLDAT in the nine furlong Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream on Feb. 26. While it was the colt's first outing of the year, even Hall of Fame trainer Billy Mott admitted that 'Honor' was short of conditioning for that race and would have to do much better next time.

"Next time" will take place this Sunday, in the $1 million Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park, where To Honor and Serve will have a rematch against Soldat. There will also be at least four or possibly five other promising Kentucky Derby prospects: DIALED IN, STAY THIRSTY,  ARCH TRAVELER, BOWMAN’S CAUSEWAY and possibly FLASHPOINT.

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Dialed In was the impressive early season winner of the one mile Holy Bull Stakes on Jan. 30 and is one of the strongest stretch runners among this year's leading Derby contenders.

Stay Thirsty is undefeated Uncle Mo's stablemate who won the Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct on Mar. 5. In trying to push this colt's performance to another level, trainer Todd Pletcher will be adding blinkers for the Florida Derby.

Arch Traveler, a lightly raced and somewhat unaccomplished colt,  did show considerable promise in sprints for Hall of Famer Allen Jerkens and will be stretching out in distance in the Florida Derby.

Bowman's Causeway, fourth in the Fountain of Youth, followed that up with a second place finish in a one mile allowance race over the track Mar. 19. Much improvement will be needed on Sunday to put him into the Derby picture.

Flashpoint, runaway winner of the 7 furlong Hutcheson Stakes at Gulfstream Park on Feb. 26 could challenge or take the lead away from Soldat should his connections opt for the Florida Derby. Yet, the 7 furlong Swale seems a more likely spot.

Should Flashpoint however actually wind up in the Florida Derby starting gate, he certainly would ensure a fast and hotly contested pace, which would benefit Dialed In while giving To Honor and Serve a royal chance to make amends from slightly behind the leaders.

And that is the crux of it.

If Flashpoint and Soldat are in the nine furlong race on Sunday, To Honor and Serve will have no excuse in a race that will make or break his Derby candidacy.

If Flashpoint is put into the 7 furlong Swale, Soldat once again will be the likely lone front runner, tactics he used so effectively to win the Fountain of Youth.

Yet even if Flashpoint's connections decide not to run in the Florida Derby, To Honor and Serve must show he has advanced his physical condition sufficiently to retain his lofty ranking as a serious potential threat to Uncle Mo and other 3-year-olds that have emerged this year as top echelon Derby contenders.

Mott is a terrific trainer and definitely someone worth rooting for, but he never has had a truly serious Kentucky Derby contender.

So it was not out of character for him to put To Honor and Serve through a series of moderate workouts before and after the Fountain of Youth.

Having said that, if Mott pulls this off... it will be the training job of his extraordinary career.

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