Honor Code to Target Whitney Handicap

Shug McGaughey has trained great horses to notable victories in his day, but the June 6 NYRA.com Metropolitan Handicap (gr. I) win by Honor Code is the most impressive the Hall of Fame trainer has seen from one of his runners this year.

In a powerful last-to-first move, the 4-year-old A.P. Indy ridgling closed with a rush in the one-mile event, blowing past pacesetter Private Zone and taking charge with about a furlong to go before drawing off to win by 3 3/4 lengths under a hand ride. Honor Code defeated 2014 Belmont Stakes (gr. I) winner Tonalist in the process, with Private Zone holding for third after setting a rapid tempo up front.

NOVAK: Honor Code Flies Home in Met Mile

"As I told people, 'You never know if you're going to win or lose these things, but they're going to know he's in there,' " McGaughey said. "I knew the horses were cooking in front and I was watching Tonalist because I knew he was the horse to beat, but I was a little surprised when (Honor Code) ran by them all at the eighth pole.

"The way he won was particularly impressive, and I'm hoping he's telling us he's getting better. It was a big feather in his cap to be able to win that race."

Honor Code, who runs for Lane's End Racing and Dell Ridge Farm, will now target the Aug. 8 Whitney Invitational Handicap (gr. I) at Saratoga Race Course, McGaughey said. The 1 1/8-mile test will be just his second attempt at that distance and his first since winning the Remsen Stakes (gr. II) as a 2-year-old. He counts the Gulfstream Park Handicap (gr. II) at a mile as his third in a trio of graded-stakes scores.

"He came out of the race particularly well—I watched him gallop this morning and thought it was really, really good," McGaughey said June 11. "I really didn't want to run him back going 1 1/4 miles at Belmont (in the grade II Suburban Handicap July 4), so after a lot of talk with Mr. Farish the other day, we decided to point for the Whitney.

"We're trying to figure out whether he does want to run long and run around two turns or whether he's a come-from-behind sprinter type. With running him in the Whitney, if we're right, there's plenty of places we can run him. If we're wrong, we have the (grade I) Forego or the (grade II) Kelso back at Belmont, and then the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (gr. I) if that's what we need to do."