OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Rockport Harbor may have accomplished more by this point than Smarty Jones did, but trainer John Servis said Rockport Harbor, an unbeaten 2-year-old, still has some lessons to learn before reaching the heights of his dual-classic winner.

"If anything, he's behind Smarty," Servis said Wednesday. "The big maturity thing with Smarty was getting him to settle, teaching him how to bottle up that speed. He just wanted to go as far as he could go, as fast as he could go. This horse hasn't really learned how to run yet. He hasn't gotten aggressive. Once he starts figuring that all out, he's going to be a force to be reckoned with. It's actually quite scary."

Upon further review, Rockport Harbor was quite scary winning the Grade 3 Nashua here Nov. 2. Jockey Stewart Elliott's hands never left Rockport Harbor's neck, though he did tap him twice on the shoulder in the stretch. The ease with which he won was part of the reason why Servis decided to run back in Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000 Remsen Stakes at Aqueduct.

"He won so easy, came out of it so good I decided we'd go ahead and take a crack at the Remsen," said Servis, who also wants to build up Rockport Harbor's graded-stakes account for a potential start in next year's Kentucky Derby. "I'm not crazy running a mile and an eighth, not that he won't get the mile and an eighth, it's just a long way for a 2-year-old."

While Rockport Harbor will not show a published workout between the Nashua and Remsen, Servis said Rockport Harbor has had a few open gallops through the Philadelphia Park stretch. Servis also said he has lengthened Rockport Harbor's gallops in the hopes of taking some of the early speed out of him. But Rockport Harbor has such a big stride that he may still find himself on the lead.

Not that Servis needed any validation, but Rockport Harbor's Nashua win was flattered when Defer, second in the Nashua, came back to win last Saturday's Grade 3 Laurel Futurity. This Saturday, Rockport Harbor will face another talented 2-year-old in the undefeated New York-bred Galloping Grocer.

"I have not seen him, but looking at his form and what he's done, he's obviously a very talented horse," Servis said. "We're going to have to have hook talented horses from here on out, so I think we might as well start."

Also pointing to the Remsen are Killenaule, Pavo, Father Weist, and Stormy Jim.