Code of Honor Looks to Hit Restart Button in Kelso

W.S. Farish's homebred Code of Honor will dial back to a one-turn mile as his connections hit the restart button Oct. 3 in the $150,000 Kelso Handicap (G2) at Belmont Park. 

The multiple grade 1-winning son of Noble Mission  leads a field of five in his first start since a fourth in the Aug. 1 Whitney Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course. He has breezed five times following a brief freshening, including a half-mile in :48.45 Sept. 28 at Belmont. 

"He's doing really well and has trained well into this," said McGaughey, who chose to bring Code of Honor back at a shorter distance rather than defend his title Oct. 10 in the $250,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1).

"After the Whitney I had to start over with him, so this is the restart," he said. "I don't want to run him a mile and a quarter after I backed off on him."

Assigned to the outside post, Javier Castellano will take over from John Velazquez, as that rider pilots Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) winner Authentic in the Preakness Stakes (G1).

Code of Honor opened his 4-year-old campaign with a half-length score over Godolphin homebred Endorsed in the Westchester Stakes (G3) over 1 1/16 miles at Belmont. The regally bred Medaglia d'Oro  colt out of grade 1 winner Dance Card seeks his first stakes score Saturday, after running second to Spinoff in restricted company in the Aug. 9 Alydar Stakes going nine furlongs at Saratoga. 

"I think the one-turn mile is good for him," said trainer Bill Mott. "I think that he's effective from a mile to a mile and a quarter, but he seemed to run real good here in the one-turn mile and a sixteenth in the Westchester."

Junior Alvarado has the call from post 3.

Klaravich Stables' lightly raced grade 1 winner Complexity looks to improve on a runner-up finish in the Aug. 29 Forego Stakes (G1) for trainer Chad Brown. The 4-year-old son of Maclean's Music  won the 2018 Champagne Stakes (G1) at second asking but has been chasing graded glory since. Jose Ortiz has the call from post 4.

Long Lake Stable's Stan the Man, trained by John Terranova, is cross-entered in the Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash (G3), but will compete at Belmont this weekend. The son of Broken Vow  enters off a last-to-first score in the Aug. 20 Tale of the Cat Stakes going six furlongs in restricted company, and seeks his first graded score. Eric Cancel will ride from post 2.

Ron Paolucci Racing's Mo Dont No, a 7-year-old Ohio-bred son of Uncle Mo  who is cross-entered in the Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix Stakes (G2) at Keeneland, will instead make his New York debut in his 45th start. The Anthony Quartarolo trainee enters off a sixth in the Aug. 28 Charles Town Classic (G2). Manny Franco picks up the mount from the inside post.

Entries: Kelso H. (G2)

Belmont Park, Saturday, October 03, 2020, Race 8

• Grade II
• 1m
• Dirt
• $150,000
• 3 yo's & up
• 4:35 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Mo Dont No (OH)	Manuel Franco	116	Anthony T. Quartarolo	30/1
2	2Stan the Man (KY)	Eric Cancel	117	John P. Terranova II	8/1
3	3Endorsed (KY)	Junior Alvarado	118	William I. Mott	7/2
4	4Complexity (KY)	Jose L. Ortiz	119	Chad C. Brown	3/2
5	5Code of Honor (KY)	Javier Castellano	124	Claude R. McGaughey III	1/1