Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Vekoma, Code of Honor could opt to skip Met Mile
ELMONT, N.Y. – Vekoma, the dominant winner of Saturday’s Grade 1 Carter Handicap, and Code of Honor, the determined winner of the Grade 3 Westchester Stakes, both emerged from their races on Saturday in good order, but it is far from certain that the two will meet in the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap on July 4 at Belmont Park.
In the Carter, Vekoma rolled to a 7 1/4-length victory in the slop and earned a careerbest 110 Beyer Speed Figure. Trainer George Weaver said the Met Mile is on his radar, but he will obviously monitor the horse to make sure he feels comfortable bringing him back in four weeks off a career-best effort. The Beyer surpassed the 102 figure Vekoma received for winning the Sir Shackleton on March 28 at Gulfstream.
“He ran so big, we just have to see how he’s doing,” Weaver said Sunday morning. “It makes you wonder whether coming back in four weeks in the Met Mile is the ideal situation. I always thought he had a performance like that in him, you just got to be happy he did it. It solidified himself as a pretty nice stallion candidate when that time comes.”
The Carter was a Win and You’re In race for the Breeders’ Cup Sprint, to be run Nov. 7 at Keeneland. Weaver believes Vekoma is best suited to races from six furlongs to a mile, so the BC Sprint “is a possibility,” he said.
If Weaver opts to skip the Met Mile with Vekoma, a race like the Grade 1 Alfred G. Vanderbilt at Saratoga could be the next option. The New York Racing Association has yet to release the Saratoga stakes schedule for the meet that begins July 16.
Vekoma, a 4-year-old son of Candy Ride, is owned by Randy Hill and Mike Gatsas.
Meanwhile, Code of Honor persevered past a stubborn Endorsed to win the Westchester by a half-length in his 3-year-old debut. Code of Honor had to go wide most of the way around under John Velazquez and was able to run down Endorsed, who had a rail trip. Code of Honor earned a 101 Beyer Speed Figure.
“The horse that was second is a very nice horse and he ran very good,” said Shug McGaughey, trainer of Code of Honor. “He had pretty much the dream trip and we didn’t. Johnny said he didn’t ride real hard because he knew he was coming off a layoff. I expected him to run well, but you always like to him see him do that.”
McGaughey said the Met Mile “is a possibility.”
“The Whitney would be a big possibility,” he said.
NYRA has yet to announce when the Whitney will be run.
McGaughey pointed out how well Code of Honor ran last year with plenty of time between starts. He won the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth off an eightweek layoff, the Grade 3 Dwyer off nine weeks, and the Grade 1 Travers off seven weeks. If the Whitney is Aug. 1, that would be eight weeks between starts.
Code of Honor, a 4-year-old son of Noble Mission, is owned and bred by William S. Farish.
McGaughey hasn’t discounted training Performer up to the Met Mile. He scratched Performer out of Saturday’s Carter due to a minor ankle issue. McGaughey said he planned to begin walking Performer under tack Monday.
Instilled Regard to Manhattan
Instilled Regard’s victory in Saturday’s Grade 2 Fort Marcy Stakes impressed trainer Chad Brown because it was done over a turf course with give in the ground.
“It showed you how good he ran to do that,” Brown said. “His preferred ground is definitely firm.”
Brown will be hoping for firm turf July 4, when he attempts to stretch Instilled Regard out to 1 1/4 miles in the Grade 1, $400,000 Manhattan Stakes. Instilled Regard is a two-time graded winner at 1 1/8 miles. He finished third in the Pegasus at 1 3/16 miles on turf.
“It’s a bit of a stretch for him, but if the ground is firm and he works out another good trip – and Irad [Ortiz Jr.] has been giving him really good trips in his races – it’s possible he could get the distance,” Brown said.
Instilled Regard, owned by Larry Best’s OXO Equine, earned a 102 Beyer Speed Figure for the Fort Marcy win.
Devamani, who finished a late-running second to Instilled Regard, also could run in the Manhattan, Brown said. Flop Shot, who finished fifth in the Fort Marcy, and Rockemperor, beaten a nose in the Grade 2 Charles Whittingham at 1 1/4 miles at Santa Anita on May 23, also are pointing to the Manhattan.
Brown said he believes Flop Shot would move up over firm ground.
“I know he had run well with give in the ground in Europe, but from what I’ve seen in his training he definitely looks like he’s moved up on firmer ground,” Brown said. “I’m not opposed to trying him back.”
‘Newspaper’ eyes Just a Game
Trainer Chad Brown said he would like to run Newspaperofrecord, winner of Saturday’s Grade 3 Intercontinental, back in the Grade 1 Just a Game on June 27.
The race comes just three weeks after Newspaperofrecord carved out fast fractions en route to winning the Intercontinental by four lengths. She earned a career-best 104 Beyer Speed Figure for her first start in 11 months.
“She had been training really well. She was sharp and ready to run,” Brown said. “She looked good this morning. We’ll get her back to the track here in a few days, see how she looks out there, and try to gauge the best I can if she’s ready to run right back in the Just a Game.”
Brown also is likely to run Uni, last year’s female turf champion, in the Just a Game.
“If both of them belong in the race, I’ll put them there,” Brown said. “I’ve always been that way.”