Unfinished Business for Code of Honor in Fayette

Before going to stud next year at Lane's End Farm, Code of Honor   has some unfinished racetrack business in the $200,000 Hagyard Fayette Stakes (G2) at Keeneland Oct. 30.

And perhaps beyond. If the 5-year-old performs well, Code of Honor could return in the $750,000 Clark Stakes Presented by Norton Healthcare (G1) Nov. 26 at Churchill Downs and potentially thereafter in the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1) at Gulfstream Park Jan. 29. The breeding season begins in February.

Such a schedule would be a fitting swan song for a colt that won the Runhappy Travers Stakes (G1) and Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) in 2019. He also scored four other graded stakes victories over his 18-race career.

A victory Saturday on closing day of the fall meet at Keeneland would push him past $3 million in earnings. Though Code of Honor is the likely favorite in the field of nine, four opponents—Sleepy Eyes Todd , Night Ops , Independence Hall , and King Fury —are also graded winners. 

"I'm excited about running him Saturday, and hopefully, we can go on to the Clark and see where that takes us," Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey said of Code of Honor. "Obviously, I'm excited he's going to Lane's End, where he was born and raised. They'll give a good chance."

A son of Noble Mission  out of the Dixie Union mare Reunited , Code of Honor was bred by Lane's End owner and founder Will Farish and has raced for him.

"It's good for Mr. Farish to have one of his homebreds come (back) there," McGaughey said. "I'm excited about that part. Of course, you're disappointed when you lose a horse of that caliber to stud, but I know he's going to a good place."

On Saturday McGaughey hopes to see Code of Honor bounce back from a fourth-place finish in the Woodward Stakes (G1) Oct. 2 at Belmont Park behind the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1)-bound Art Collector .

That race followed what had been an auspicious Aug. 21 comeback in the Philip H. Iselin Stakes (G3), his first start since a fifth-place finish in the Pegasus in January. McGaughey attributes the Woodward fourth to the horse taking dirt behind the pace and his rivals being more "race ready" than Code of Honor.

"I've kind of gotten into him a little bit since that race. So I'm helpful we will have caught up," McGaughey said.

Code of Honor, who has yet to race at Keeneland but worked a half-mile there in :49 3/5 Oct. 25, will be ridden by Tyler Gaffalione.

Thumbs Up Racing's Sleepy Eyes Todd, another horse with experience facing Art Collector, is one of Code of Honor's principal rivals. The $2 million earner ran second to Art Collector most recently in the Charles Town Classic (G2) Aug. 27 after setting the pace. Sleepy Eyes Todd won the Charles Town Classic in 2020.

The well-traveled 5-year-old, who trainer Miguel Angel Silva has raced everywhere from the Middle East to Nebraska, drew the rail, leaving jockey Ry Eikleberry in position to dictate terms on the Paddy O'Prado  horse.

Hoping to score the knockout against his elders is Fern Circle Stables and Three Chimneys Farm's King Fury, a 13-length winner of the Bourbon Trail Stakes at Churchill Downs last month. This spring, the 3-year-old Curlin   colt won the Stonestreet Lexington Stakes (G3) at Keeneland for trainer Kenny McPeek.

Sleepy Eyes Todd is also a local stakes winner, scoring in the Lafayette Stakes Presented by Keeneland Select on the Breeders' Cup undercard last fall at Keeneland.

Entries: Hagyard Fayette S. (G2)

Keeneland, Saturday, October 30, 2021, Race 9

• Grade II
• 1 1/8m
• Dirt
• $200,000
• 3 yo's & up
• 5:16 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Sleepy Eyes Todd (KY)	Ry Eikleberry	121	Miguel Angel Silva	3/1
2	2Manhattan Up (KY)	Chris Landeros	121	Robertino Diodoro	12/1
3	3Militarist (KY)	Martin Garcia	121	Carlo Vaccarezza	50/1
4	4Night Ops (KY)	Florent Geroux	121	Brad H. Cox	6/1
5	5Independence Hall (KY)	Javier Castellano	121	Michael W. McCarthy	5/2
6	6King Fury (KY)	Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr.	120	Kenneth G. McPeek	9/2
7	7Code of Honor (KY)	Tyler Gaffalione	121	Claude R. McGaughey III	3/1
8	8Fort Peck (KY)	David Cohen	121	Robertino Diodoro	20/1
9	9Major Fed (KY)	Ricardo Santana, Jr.	121	Gregory D. Foley	12/1