Code of Honor Returns to Work Tab Off Freshening

Dual grade 1 winner Code of Honor was back on the work tab April 19 for the first time since returning to training with Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey. The son of Noble Mission  looked very much himself at McGaughey's winter base of Payson Park near Indiantown, Fla., breezing three furlongs in :38 2/5. 

"Code of Honor, it was his first work since he came back, and he went nice and easy just like he normally does. We had no complaints," said McGaughey's assistant trainer Robbie Medina. 

A homebred for W.S. Farish, Code of Honor was given a freshener at Margaux Farm following the conclusion of his sophomore campaign. The colt was given the green light to resume light training in early February after completing his layup at the Lexington farm during which he underwent a full wellness checkup by Dr. Larry Bramlage. 

The winner of last year's Xpressbet Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2), Code of Honor steadily built on his rèsumè throughout 2019, placing third in the Xpressbet Florida Derby (G1) and second in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1). 

Code of Honor followed his performance at Churchill Downs with three consecutive victories in the Dwyer Stakes (G3), Runhappy Travers Stakes (G1), and Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes (G1) before closing out the year with an off-the-board finish in the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1). 

With the spread of COVID-19 forcing racetracks across North America and the world to shutter their doors or make drastic changes to their racing schedules, Medina said there is no current target race for Code of Honor, but they're confident he will be ready when racing resumes as usual. 

"Obviously we don't have anything picked out for him, but he will be ready when there is more clarity going forward," said Medina. 

Also on Sunday's work tab for McGaughey was Discovery Stakes (G3) winner Performer, a 4-year-old son of Speightstown  owned by Phipps Stable and Claiborne Farm. The chestnut colt has worked steadily throughout the winter in anticipation of his 2020 campaign and clocked four furlongs in :49 2/5 over the dirt at Payson, the second-fastest of 30 at the distance. 

"Performer, he's ready to run," said Medina. "Obviously, he was being pointed toward the Carter Handicap (G1). We skipped the work with him last week because there was nowhere to go but he worked very, very well yesterday. He's had an awesome winter of training and he's a very talented horse." 

Bred in Kentucky by Phipps Stable, Performer has made only one misstep in his career so far, taking third in his debut at Aqueduct Racetrack at 2. He returned to turn in one strong performance after another at 3, breaking his maiden at Belmont Park before scoring a pair of allowance victories in New York on his way to winning the Discovery. 

Code of Honor and Performer are just a pair of 40 horses currently in training for McGaughey at Payson Park, while seven additional horses are stabled at Gulfstream Park. One of the more interesting first-time starters for McGaughey is Creed, a son of the veteran trainer's former champion prodigy Honor Code , who will make his debut April 22 in a maiden special weight at Tampa Bay Downs. 

Bred in Kentucky by G. Watts Humphrey Jr. & W. S. Farish, 2-year-old Creed will hope to make his first start Wednesday for owners Edward Hudson, Jr. and Lynne Hudson. Working Sunday at Payson, the bay breezed three furlongs in :39 flat ahead of shipping to Tampa. 

"Creed will still go on Wednesday to Tampa Bay. He's pretty nice and he looks a lot like Honor Code," said Medina. "He's a flashy-looking horse and he's been doing good. He looks like he has ability so we're looking forward to seeing him run."

A pricey offering consigned by Lane's End to the 2018 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, bloodstock agent David Ingordo signed the ticket on Creed for $650,000. 

"I think he will make a good account of himself," said Medina. "He'll be easy to spot because he's black like Honor Code with a white face."

With limited options for horses looking to jump start their year and no clear understanding of when racing will be able to resume at tracks across the United States, Medina said the stable is taking things day-by-day. 

"We would have loved to have run Performer in the Carter and we had Pink Sands ready to run in the Madison (G1) at Keeneland, but we really can't complain," said Medina. "We have our health and that is the most important thing. It would have been hard to ship up to New York and then be up there with no racing. Where our horses are now, like Creed, we can get a race into them and help get them started."