Honor Code Works, Ironicus May Train Up to BC
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Preparing for a probable start in the $400,000 Kelso Handicap (gr. II) on Oct. 3 at Belmont Park, multiple grade I winner Honor Code breezed five furlongs in :59.45 Sept. 12 over the Belmont main track.
Trained by Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey, Honor Code is likely to opt for the one-mile Kelso instead of the $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup Invitational (gr. I) on the same day, which he will use as a prep for the Oct. 31 Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I) at Keeneland.
"I was very pleased with the way he went (on Saturday)," said McGaughey, who trains the A.P. Indy runner for Lane's End Racing and Dell Ridge Farm. "Nothing is ever a definite with racehorses, but (the Kelso) is my preference. I'm hoping that he runs the way he's been running and we can move forward to the Breeders' Cup from there."
Always highly thought of by the barn and bettors alike, Honor Code really lived up to the hype in 2015. He took the Gulfstream Park Handicap (gr. II) in his seasonal bow before faltering in the Alysheba (gr. II) at Churchill Downs, but then scored a spectacular victory in the June 6 Metropolitan Handicap (gr. I), stealing a tiny portion of the spotlight away from Triple Crown winner American Pharoah.
Considered by some to be a one-turn specialist heading into the Aug. 8 Whitney (gr. I) at Saratoga Race Course, Honor Code dispelled the notion with another sensational triumph, rallying from last to nip Liam's Map in the final strides of the 1 1/8-mile affair.
Another star of the McGaughey barn, Stuart S. Janney III's homebred Ironicus, emerged from his record-setting win in the Sept. 7 Bernard Baruch (gr. IIT) on closing day at Saratoga in good shape, according to his trainer.
After missing by a neck at the beginning of the meet in the Fourstardave (gr. IIT), Ironicus stormed home to win by 1 1/4 lengths in the Bernard Baruch, covering 1 1/16 miles on the Mellon turf course in a track record 1:38.54 on firm turf. Fourstardave held the previous record of 1:38.91 set July 29, 1991.
Ironicus, who broke through with his first graded stakes win in the Longines Dixie (gr. IIT) earlier this year, is "50-50" to either train up to the Breeders' Cup Mile (gr. IT) or run in the Oct. 3 Shadwell Turf Mile (gr. IT) at Keeneland, according to McGaughey.
"He came back good (out of the Bernard Baruch)," McGaughey said. "It was a hot day up there and he ran extremely fast, and then he had to ship back down (to Belmont). My main objective is the Breeders' Cup, so I just want to make sure we're in good shape for that.
"We banged him back pretty quick (in the Bernard Baruch). I hadn't planned on running him but he was doing so good I said, 'Well, we better go and run him.' "