Code of Honor to Stand at Lane's End in 2022

W.S. Farish's homebred multiple grade 1 winner Code of Honor   will stand the 2022 season at Lane's End Farm, the Versailles, Ky., operation announced Oct. 24.

Earning almost $3 million in a career that included graded stakes performances each year from 2 to 5, the son of Noble Mission  is a six-time graded stakes winner. He looks to add to his already impressive résumé this weekend in the Oct. 30 Hagyard Fayette Stakes (G2) at Keeneland. 

Code of Honor got his racing career off to a perfect start wiring the field in a maiden special weight at Saratoga Race Course in his 2-year-old debut. This victory gave his Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey the confidence to target the Champagne Stakes (G1), in which Code of Honor finished second and posted a 90 Beyer Speed Figure after stumbling badly at the start. Never competing out of stakes company after his debut, and only once in non-graded company, Code of Honor has made 16 graded stakes starts to date, hitting the board in 12.

Early in his 3-year-old career, he won the Xpressbet Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) and finished third in the Xpressbet Florida Derby (G1), making him a leading contender for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1). In the Kentucky Derby, he crossed the wire third, only three-quarters of a length behind the declared winner Country House  , and was moved up to second upon the disqualification of first-place finisher Maximum Security   for interference. From there, Code of Honor won three graded stakes in a row to finish out his sophomore season. A victory in the Dwyer Stakes (G3) set the stage for his three-length win in the Runhappy Travers Stakes (G1), for which he posted a 105 Beyer. He annexed the Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes (G1) in his follow-up race posting a career-high 106 Beyer against older horses for the first time. In that race, he finished second a nose behind Vino Rosso  , but was placed first by stewards after bumping with that rival down the stretch.

"Code of Honor impressed me from day one", said McGaughey. "He is the type of horse every trainer dreams of; he is sound, balanced, and an efficient mover and takes to his training very well. What I saw him do as a 2-year-old when breaking his maiden at Saratoga gave me the confidence to go straight to a grade 1. Watching him overcome his bad break in the Champagne to run second was impressive and showed the heart and determination that's been a trademark of Code of Honor throughout his career." 

As a 4-year-old and 5-year-old, Code of Honor won the Westchester Stakes (G3) and the Philip H. Iselin Stakes (G3), posting a 105 Beyer while also hitting the board in the Runhappy Metropolitan Handicap (G1), Kelso Handicap (G2), and Clark Stakes Presented by Norton Healthcare (G1), posting 102, 106, and 101 Beyers, respectively. 

"Code of Honor is a special horse on many different levels for us, and we're excited that he is returning home to the farm where he was born," said Bill Farish of Lane's End. "He is what we like to see in a prospective stallion being a consistent performer at the highest level. He was a precocious 2-year-old that developed into a classic horse winning at the elite level. He has the proven race record, desired physical attributes, and deep pedigree to make him the complete stallion package." 

Code of Honor is by European champion Noble Mission, a full brother to Frankel , and out of the W.S. Farish homebred Reunited  (by Dixie Union), a winner of the Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes (G3) at Keeneland who has produced eight winners from eight starters, including Best Pal Stakes (G2) runner-up Big League .