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Pennsylvania Derby: To Honor And Serve Looking for a Stakes Win

ELMONT, NY - JUNE 11: Jose Valdivia, Jr. rides Ruler on Ice to victory during the 143rd running of the Belmont Stakes.  (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
ELMONT, NY - JUNE 11: Jose Valdivia, Jr. rides Ruler on Ice to victory during the 143rd running of the Belmont Stakes. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
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Following an easy win against optional claimers at Saratoga in late August, To Honor and Serve will attempt to win his first graded stakes race since last November in Saturday's $1 million Grade 2 Pennsylvania Derby at Parx (post time: 5:45 Eastern).  He'll face a field of eight rivals, including Belmont Stakes winner Ruler On Ice, Arthur's Tale (runner-up in the Wood Memorial), Rush Now (runner-up in the West Virginia Derby), along with the 2nd and 3rd place finishes in the Travers: J W Blue and Rattlesnake Bridge.

The racing career of To Honor and Serve began promisingly with wins in three of his first four races, including stylish wins in the Grade 2 Nashua and Remsen Stakes at Aqueduct last fall. His three-year-old campaign turned out to be less than successful, at least at the beginning.  A pair of 3rd place finishes in the Fountain of Youth and the Florida Derby sent To Honor and Serve to the sidelines for an extended lay-off. The Bernardini colt returned on August 1st where he was a well-beaten 6th in the Grade 2 Amsterdam at Saratoga.

PP Horse Jockey Trainer ML
1 Ruler On Ice G. Gomez K. Breen 5/2
2 Arthur's Tale A. Garcia T. Albertrani 12/1
3 Pender Harbour L. Contreras M. De Paulo 12/1
4 Norman Asbjornson J. Pimentel C. Grove 12/1
5 Rush Now C. Velasquez A. Dutrow 9/2
6 Isn't He Perfect tbd D. Shivmangal 20/1
7 To Honor and Serve J. Lezcano W. Mott 3/1
8 J W Blue C. Velasquez A. Dutrow 8/1
9 Rattlesnake Bridge J. Velazquez K. McLaughlin 4/1