Code of Honor Turns in Penultimate Derby Move

William S. Farish's homebred Code of Honor closed the major Keeneland portion of his preparation for the May 4 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) by working five furlongs in 1:01 over a sloppy surface April 20 at the Lexington track.

Working at 7:30 a.m. on a brisk, overcast day with jockey John Velazquez aboard, Code of Honor produced fractions of :25 1/5, :49, and 1:01 and galloped out to six furlongs in 1:13 3/5 and to seven furlongs in 1:27. 

It was Code of Honor's second work at Keeneland since he finished third in the March 30 Xpressbet Florida Derby (G1) at Gulfstream Park. The chestnut son of Noble Mission  worked a half-mile in Lexington April 12 in :49 over a fast track.

"It was very good, very nice," Velazquez said before heading to the airport to catch a plane to Washington, D.C., and then a drive to Charles Town, W.Va., where he had three mounts on Charles Town Classic Day. "There was a nice inside path where nobody had been galloping, and he handled (the conditions) very well."

Velazquez, who won the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands in 2011 with Animal Kingdom  and in 2017 with Always Dreaming , is familiar with Code of Honor in the mornings as well as on race day.

"I had worked him at Payson (Park Training Center in Florida), and he was more laid-back down there," Velazquez said. "Once he gets on a racetrack, he's more aggressive."

Trainer Shug McGaughey said Code of Honor will likely ship to Churchill Downs April 24, with his final pre-Derby work scheduled for April 28 or 29, depending on weather.

"I was pleased with that this morning, and I'm glad that's over with," said McGaughey, who won the Derby in 2013 with Orb . "I wanted him to go in 1:01, and that's what he did, and I had him going out (six furlongs) in 1:13 and change and seven-eighths in 1:26 and change."

Also on the Saturday work tab, albeit at Churchill, Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) contender Restless Rider tuned up in company with Signalman, who is on the outside looking in at the 20-horse Derby field while ranked No. 22 on the leaderboard.

Restless Rider breezed five furlongs in :59 4/5, and Signalman was clocked five furlongs in :59 3/5 at 7:30 a.m. The Ken McPeek trainees worked head-and-head through splits of :12 1/5, :23 4/5, :35 3/5, and :47 3/5 before Restless Rider finished about one length behind at the wire. The filly completed her work with a gallop out to six furlongs in 1:14 1/5, according to Churchill clocker John Nichols.

In California, Bob Baffert sent two of his three Kentucky Derby contenders through drills under jockey Martin Garcia. Santa Anita Derby (G1) winner Roadster worked six furlongs from the gate in 1:13 3/5, and Game Winner went five furlongs in 1:00 4/5.