After W won but Jeb lost, 41 lamented that, "the joy is in Texas but our hearts are in Florida." The Bush family clearly didn't think Dubya was leadership material and instead favored Jeb. They've denied this in interviews, but actions speak louder than words.
I read that statement in Meacham's Biography about HW Bush. I think you're taking it out of context. He was talking about being experiencing happiness with one son while another son was experiencing disappointment. It's possible they did favor Jeb, but I'm not sure that statement shows it.