Code of Honor Breezes for Florida Derby

W.S. Farish's Code of Honor pleased Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey March 16 while prepping for the $1 million Xpressbet Florida Derby (G1) March 30 at Gulfstream Park.

The 3-year-old son of Noble Mission  worked for the first time since capturing the $400,000 Xpressbet Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) at Gulfstream March 2, breezing five furlongs at Payson Park in Indiantown, Fla., in 1:01 and galloping out to six furlongs in 1:13 4/5 by McGaughey's watch.

"I thought he worked really well. He kind of eased away from the pole, picked it up, went the final eighth of a mile in :11 and change, and galloped out very well. He seemed to come back where he might have needed it a little bit," McGaughey said. "We've got two weeks to go, so we can get him fresh again and go from there. We were very pleased with what we saw."

Code of Honor, who finished fourth as the 4-5 favorite in the one-turn-mile Mucho Macho Man Stakes Jan. 5 at Gulfstream, bounced back with a sharp three-quarter-length victory in the two-turn, 1 1/16-mile Fountain of Youth.

"Coming out of the Fountain of Youth, when I came up here and saw him a week later, which was last Saturday, I was really pleasantly surprised with what I saw—not only physically, but his energy level," McGaughey said. "I'm every bit as pleased today. Hopefully he comes out of this good, and we can move forward off this work."

Code of Honor stamped himself as a colt to watch in his Aug. 18 debut at Saratoga Race Course in which he led throughout the six-furlong maiden special weight race. He came back to finish second in the Oct. 6 Champagne Stakes (G1) at Belmont Park, overcoming a troubled start to close from ninth in the one-turn-mile stakes.

McGaughey is hopeful that Code of Honor can follow in the footsteps of Orb  and add a Florida Derby win to his résumé. McGaughey saddled Orb for a victory in the 2013 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) after scores in the Fountain of Youth and Florida Derby.

"Orb went forward a lot (in South Florida), and this horse is coming forward," McGaughey said. "When we ran him in January, he wasn't nearly the horse he is today. Hopefully, the next couple months he'll be the same."

At Gulfstream, Harvey Wallbanger breezed five furlongs in :59.66 in preparation for a planned start in the Florida Derby. The son of Congrats  is coming off a 29-1 upset victory in the $350,000 Fasig-Tipton Holy Bull Stakes (G2) at Gulfstream Feb. 2. The Kenny McPeek-trained colt entered the 1 1/16-mile Holy Bull off a maiden victory at Churchill Downs Nov. 17 at 1 1/16 miles.

Harvey Wallbanger worked in company with the McPeek-trained Signalman, who finished seventh in the Fountain of Youth after completing a strong juvenile campaign with a victory in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs. Signalman, who is scheduled to run in the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G2) at Keeneland April 6, was clocked in :59.46 while working outside pacesetting Harvey Wallbanger.