Darley sire Bernardini was runner-up in the 2010 USA freshman title and only the brave would bet against him winning the second-season sires’ premiership this year.

Leading his classic crop will be To Honour and Serve who is currently second favourite for the 2011 Kentucky Derby in May.  Bookmakers have him a 12/1 second favourite in the Run for the Roses behind Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner Uncle Mo who is at 4/1.

To Honor And Serve (3c Bernardini – Pilfer by Deputy Minister) was bred in Kentucky by Twins Creeks Farm and was a $575,000 yearling buy at Keeneland in September 2009.  He is trained by Bill Mott and finished the year with G2 wins in the Nashua Stakes and Remsen Stakes at Aqueduct.

His dam Pilfer comes from a family that’s been developed by Darby Dan Farm for 50 years.  Back in 1962, Darby Dan Farm owner John W Galbreath acquired several mares from the estate of Brookmeade Stable breeder Isabel Dodge Sloane.

Among the mares he purchased was the Hasty Road filly Golden Trail.  When bred to the Ribot brothers Graustark and His Majesty, she and her daughters produced a number of high-class runners.

Java Moon (Graustark – Golden Trail) was a G3 winner of the 1973 Comely Stakes and, when mated with Nijinsky, foaled Our Tina Marie.  She never raced but early on in her stud career produced the Listed winners Too Cool To Fool (Foolish Pleasure) and Merit Wings (Silver Hawk).

Our Tina Marie owned a decidedly stout pedigree which may have been the reason she was sent to the speedy Miswaki in 1994 when aged 16.

The result was Canadian G1 winner Misty Hour.  She has produced G2 winner India (Hennessy) and Listed winner Pilfer (Deputy Minister).

To Honor and Serve is Pilfer’s second foal and, on pedigree, is only likely to get better as he continues to mature.

To Honor and Serve has also has made a fair contribution to the still-growing legacy of Deputy Minister as a broodmare sire.  He was Champion USA Broodmare sire in 2007 through champion colt Curlin and champion filly Rags to Riches.

The Bernardini colt spelled at Payson Park in Florida and will probably resume in the Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park.  

Should he live up to the promise of his pedigree as a three year-old, To Honor and Serve will be one to watch as the Triple Crown trail heats up.