Sharp Work Has McGaughey Confident in Code of Honor

Code of Honor is a bright-eyed, curious sort whose mornings before the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) at Churchill Downs include meandering strolls around the stable area under the watchful care of exercise rider Brian Duggan.

The Xpressbet Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) winner has taken an interested and professional approach to his new surroundings since arriving at the Louisville, Ky., oval April 24, so it was no surprise to Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey when his charge turned in a final pre-race work April 28 that was equally sharp and deft.

With Duggan in the irons, Code of Honor took to the track immediately upon its opening for the 7:30 a.m. training period reserved for Kentucky Derby and Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) contenders and completed a four-furlong breeze in :46 4/5 shortly thereafter. Churchill Downs clockers caught the chestnut son of Noble Mission  in splits of :11 4/5, :23 1/5, and :35 1/5, with a gallop out to five furlongs in :59 2/5 and to six furlongs in 1:13 1/5.

"I thought he was very efficient in what he did," McGaughey said. "He was looking to breeze going to the pole, just settled right in, and picked it up.

"He's kind of a funny horse. He knows where the wire is, so (Duggan) let him go on past the wire. Brian was saying, 'I had to kind of just knuckle him a little bit to get him going past it, but he galloped out good.' He galloped out really well. I feel good about it. ... He worked very well here today."

In pursuit of his second Kentucky Derby victory, after winning the 2013 edition with Orb , McGaughey sent Code of Honor to Kentucky a few days after he finished third in the Xpressbet Florida Derby (G1), and the homebred raced by W.S. Farish spent time at Keeneland before he took the short van ride west to Churchill Downs.

Code of Honor's April 20 work at the Lexington oval was similarly strong, a five-furlong move in 1:01 flat under Hall of Fame rider John Velazquez, who has been aboard for four of the colt's five starts and retains the mount for the Kentucky Derby.

"I brought him here (to Kentucky) the first part of April," McGaughey said. "After the Florida Derby, I thought I needed to do something to jump start this thing. … I think he did really well over at Keeneland, and I think he settled in here really good. He's an easy horse to be around, but I was glad to get him here when it was a little bit quieter. We've had a good four, five days here with him."

Code of Honor, who will school in the paddock Tuesday, seeks his first grade 1 win. He was second in the Champagne Stakes (G1) as a juvenile, and he was the morning-line 5-1 third choice for the Sentient Jet Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) in November but was scratched the morning of the race after spiking a fever. After running fourth in the Jan. 5 Mucho Macho Man Stakes in his season debut, he won the Fountain of Youth in a powerful, driving finish. 

"(The Florida Derby third) sort of tempered everybody's enthusiasm a little bit, so I think he is being overlooked a little bit," McGaughey said. "I think he's a midpack, one-run type of horse. With a big field, we ought to get plenty of pace, and I think that'll help him."