Code of Honor, Mr Freeze Work for Met Mile

W. S. Farish's homebred Code of Honor turned in a half-mile work over the Belmont Park main track June 29 ahead of his next start in the July 4 Runhappy Metropolitan Handicap (G1).

The Met Mile will be Code of Honor's second start of the year after he took the June 6 Westchester Stakes (G3) over the same track, his first start back since the Nov. 2 Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1).

"Obviously off a layoff you never know what's going to happen, but he trained well and we were pleased with the way he ran," trainer Shug McGaughey said.

Monday morning the 4-year-old Noble Mission  colt breezed four furlongs in :49.73 on a surface rated good. Five days earlier he turned in a bullet five furlongs in 1:00.50 when the track was fast.

"I thought he worked excellent," McGaughey said Monday. "He went off easy and finished up good, galloped out the next eighth (of a mile) good, and seemed to come back good. As of right now we're on track."

Code of Honor collected top-level wins at 3 running 1 1/4 miles in the Runhappy Travers Stakes (G1) and the Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes (G1), the latter via disqualification due to being interfered with after crossing the finish line a nose behind Vino Rosso , who won the Classic next out.

The Met Mile will be Code of Honor's first time at a mile since the Mucho Macho Man Stakes in January 2019 and is a sixteenth of a mile shorter than his cutback for the 1 1/16-mile Westchester, in which he ran down Endorsed to win by a half length. The pair was six lengths ahead of the rest of the field.

"He's the kind when you push the button he's there," McGaughey said, "so I don't think that (the distance) will be a problem."

Bakster Farm's Met Mile contender Mr Freeze also tuned up Monday, working a half-mile in :49 3/5 on a sloppy track at Churchill Downs.

Trainer Dale Romans said the work went well and that the 5-year-old son of To Honor and Serve will ship to Belmont Park Tuesday afternoon.

Mr Freeze has already won a graded stake at a mile this season, taking the Feb. 29 Gulfstream Park Mile (G2) by three lengths, and also won the one-mile Ack Ack Stakes (G3) last fall at Churchill. He began this year with a runner-up finish in the Jan. 25 Pegasus World Cup Invitational Presented by Runhappy (G1) and finished third last out in the May 2 Oaklawn Handicap (G2). Both of those races were run at 1 1/8 miles.

Romans considered the June 27 Stephen Foster Stakes (G2) for Mr Freeze at his Churchill base, but opted for the Met Mile instead.

"The Met Mile makes a stallion. I think he needs the help to be a stallion and I think he deserves to be one, and he's so brilliant at a mile," Romans said.

The Met Mile awards an automatic berth to the Nov. 7 Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) at Keeneland as part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series.