To Honor And Serve Solid Choice in Remsen

Photo: NYRA, Adam Coglianese

After breaking his maiden by 8 ¾ lengths in his second start, an off-the-turf race at Belmont Park on October 2, To Honor and Serve needed only mild encouragement to take the Grade 2 Nashua by four lengths at Aqueduct.

In the interim the son of Bernardini has worked twice on the Belmont training track, breezing three furlongs in 37.06 on November 16 and covering four furlongs in 47.64, handily, on Monday.

“He worked in company [on Monday] with a maiden called Dream Man, and it was very easy for him,” said Leana Williford, assistant to Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, of To Honor and Serve. “We were just trying to sharpen him up a little as he’s running right back. We gave him one easy three-eighths work and one four-furlong work because it’s pretty close between races.”

Owned by Live Oak Plantation, To Honor and Serve will leave from post 5 under John Velazquez as the 6-5 morning-line favorite for the 1 1/8-mile event.

Buffum, also by Bernardini, will step up in class as he enters Saturday’s race off a debut victory at Belmont on October 30. Third through a half mile in a brisk 45.54, the juvenile took the lead on the far turn, shied from the whip in deep stretch, and held on to win by a nose.

“We’re hoping to see an improvement off the first race, which, naturally, we should see because he got a lot of experience from the race,” said Tom Albertrani, who trains the colt for Darley Stable. “We’re looking for a big effort out of him this Saturday. We’ve always thought highly of him, and we were very pleased with his performance the day he broke his maiden. I think he’ll handle the jump up in class very well.”

Buffum, purchased for $1.2 million at Keeneland as a yearling, drew the rail as the 2-1 second choice. David Cohen will ride.

Mountain Town, claimed for $75,000 out of a debut score at Saratoga on August 19, finished second to eventual Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner Uncle Mo in the Grade 1 Champagne at Belmont on October 9 in his first start for his new connections and will try graded competition once again in the Remsen.

“In his training, Mountain Town is showing he’s going in the right direction; we’re very happy with him,” said Rick Dutrow, Jr., who trains the colt for Paul Pompa, Jr. “It should be a really good race. Bill Mott’s horse [To Honor and Serve] is a nice colt, the New York-bred [Sleepy Hollow winner Bandbox] looks good, and our colt certainly hasn’t done anything wrong in two starts.”

Mountain Town, the 6-1 morning-line third selection, drew post 3 and will be ridden by Cornelio Velasquez.

Hillwood Stable’s Bandbox will put an unbeaten record at risk in the Remsen, having broken his maiden in a Laurel Park turf sprint on August 8, aired by 9 ½ lengths in the Charles Town Juvenile on September 18, and prevailed by 1 ¼ lengths in the Sleepy Hollow for New York-breds at Belmont on October 23 after stumbling at the start.

Although Bandbox has never started beyond seven furlongs, he has proven form around two turns, courtesy of his triumph at Charles Town.

“He acts like a horse who will go a mile and an eighth, but you never know until you have them try it,” said trainer Rodney Jenkins. “I’ve been trying to build him up to go further. He’s a big, tall horse with a lot of quantity, so I’ve been taking my time with him.”

Ramon Dominguez has the call aboard Bandbox, installed at 12-1 on the morning line, from post 4.

The Remsen field also includes Monmouth Park maiden winner Pants on Fire, Nashua fifth-place finisher Economic Summit, and Nashua runner-up Mucho Macho Man.

Jeffrey L. Nielsen’s Full Moon Blues, a gate-to-wire winner of the Grade 3 Tempted at Aqueduct on November 6, returns from trainer Timothy Tullock’s base at Laurel to compete in the 1 1/8-mile Demoiselle for fillies.

Following a 10 ½-length maiden victory at Laurel on October 9 in her third start, Full Moon Blues led through a half in a modest 48.22 and held sway in the stretch to score by 2 ¼ lengths.

“I thought it was a great effort,” said Tullock of the filly’s performance in the Tempted. “She was really relaxed, and when they came to her she stepped up. We weren’t looking for the early lead. She came out in third, and [jockey] Malcolm [Franklin] saw nobody going to the lead so he sent her up there. She can do whatever we ask her to do.”

Franklin retains the mount aboard Full Moon Blues, who drew post 4 at 5-1 on the morning line.

Todd Pletcher will send out two fillies in the Demoiselle: Tap For Luck, fifth in the Grade 1 Frizette at Belmont on October 9 and second in the Tempted, and Summer Laugh, a 6 ¼-length first-out winner at Saratoga Race Course on August 8 who came back to prevail by a head in the Blue Hen Stakes at Delaware Park on October 2.

“This is a real test for 2-year-old fillies, going 1 1/8 miles,” said Pletcher. “It generally separates the fillies that just don’t want to go that far. It’s obviously late in the year but it’s pretty early in the game for all the 2-year-olds, especially the fillies. The ones that want to go that far have a big edge. With their pedigrees, we are hopeful that Tap for Luck and Summer Laugh will handle the distance.”

David Cohen has the call aboard 7-2 shot Tap for Luck from post 3, while Summer Laugh, coupled in the wagering with Dixie City, will have the services of John Velazquez from post 2. Summer Laugh and Dixie City were installed at 9-5 on the morning line.

Believe in A. P., a 12 ¾-length maiden winner at Parx Racing on October 9, was fourth, defeated 5 ¾ lengths, in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies on November 5. The Jay Em Ess Homebred will leave from post 6 in the Demoiselle, her second start against winners, as the 8-5 morning-line favorite.

“We like a mile and an eighth for her,” said the filly’s trainer Rick Dutrow, Jr.

Light Your World, exiting two straight wins at Delaware Park, completes the Demoiselle field.

The field for the Grade 2, $200,000 Remsen:

The field for the Grade 2, $200,000 Demoiselle: