The Kentucky Derby trail leads to Gulfstream Park this Saturday where To Honor And Serve will be favoured to win the G1 Florida Derby.

To Honor And Serve (3c Bernardini – Pilfer by Deputy Minister) has been a star worker since returning to action with a tiring third in the G2 Fountain of Youth Stakes (1800m) won by Soldat last month.

Trainer Bill Mott was focused on the challenges ahead rather than the Fountain of Youth.  “We went into that race with only six workouts,” he said.  “It gave us something to build on.”

Mott drilled him at Payson Park earlier this week and the colt turned in a winning gallop over 800m.  

To Honor and Serve has been one of the Kentucky Derby favourites since he scored an 8 length maiden win at Belmont Park in October.  That effort laid the groundwork for G2 victories in the Nashua Stakes and Remsen Stakes at Aqueduct.

The Bernardini colt was bred in Kentucky by Twins Creeks Farm and was a $575,000 yearling buy at Keeneland in September 2009.  The Darley shuttler got him from Delaware stakes winner dam Pilfer who has since foaled colts by Darley sires Hard Spun and Street Sense.

Mott became the youngest trainer inducted into the Hall of Fame when aged 45 in 1998.  But a Kentucky Derby doesn’t feature in his honour-roll.

“The Kentucky Derby is an exciting time although I’ve been disappointed a few times,” Mott said this week.  “All I can do is put a horse in a position where, if things go right, it could happen.”