Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Contact: Jenny Kellner
TRIO OF GRADE 1 WINNERS VIE IN
ELMONT, N.Y. – To Honor and Serve, Jersey Town and Boys at Tosconova – Grade 1 winners all – headline Saturday’s 83rd running of the Grade 3, $150,000 Westchester, the first of 35 stakes at Belmont Park’s 2012 spring/summer meet.
The one-mile
Trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, To Honor and Serve will be making his 4-year-old debut in the
“He put on a lot of weight, filled out, and matured a lot,” said Mott of the Bernardini colt, who zipped a half-mile Wednesday morning in 47.60 in preparation for the
Jose Lezcano will be aboard To Honor and Serve, who drew post position 6.
The 4-year-old Boys At Tosconova, winner of the Grade 1 Three Chimneys Hopeful, is returning to graded stakes action for the first time since his runner-up finish to
No worse than third in his eight lifetime starts, Boys At Tosconova was listed as the second choice on the morning line at 5-1. Ramon Dominguez will ride from post position 1.
Jersey Town has yet to return to the winner’s circle following his half-length victory over Haynesfield in the 2010 Cigar Mile, for which he earned a career-high 111 Beyer Speed Figure. Trained by Barclay Tagg for Charles Fipke,
The 6-year-old son of Speightstown, second by a half-length in his 2012 bow at
Returning to graded stakes company for the first time in nearly a year is Barry Schwartz’s Bold Deed, older brother to recent Grade 2 Jerome winner The Lumber Guy. The 4-year-old New York-bred son of Grand Reward has made one start in open company, finishing fifth in the Grade 2 Peter Pan last May. Following a second-place finish in the New York Stallion Series’ Spectacular Bid division in June, Bold Deed was given time off and resumed racing in February at Aqueduct, where he was 1-2-0 in three starts. Most recently, he drew clear to a 7 ½-length victory in a one-mile optional claimer on March 17, earning a 102 Beyer Speed Figure.
“His last race was very strong,” said trainer Mike Hushion. “He’s training as nice as can be and it’s worth taking a shot.”
Javier Castellano will ride Bold Deed, 12-1 on the morning line, from post position 7.
Marilyn’s Guy comes into the
“I couldn’t be happier with the way our horse is doing,” said Dutrow of Marilyn’s Guy, 6-1 on the morning line. “Our horse is at the top of his game. Hands down, the better horse is [To Honor and Serve] but under these circumstances, we may be able to run with him.”
Rounding out the field are Goombada Guska, most recently third in the Bryan G overnight stakes at Aqueduct on March 11, and Ponzi Scheme, making his first start since a third-place finish in the Grade 3 Iselin at Monmouth Park last August.
The field for the Grade 3
| PP | Horse | Jockey | Wgt | Trainer | Odds |
| 1 | Boys At Tosconova (KY) | R A Dominguez | 119 | R E Dutrow, Jr. | 5-2 |
| 2 | | E | 119 | B Tagg | 3-1 |
| 3 | Ponzi Scheme (KY) | J Alvarado | 119 | J Serey | 30-1 |
| 4 | Goombada Guska (NJ) | R Napravnik | 117 | S M Asmussen | 20-1 |
| 5 | Marilyn's Guy (KY) | J R Velazquez | 123 | A | 6-1 |
| 6 | To Honor and Serve (KY) | J Lezcano | 121 | W I Mott | 7-5 |
| 7 | Bold Deed (NY) | J Castellano | 117 | M | 12-1 |
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