Trainer Shug McGaughey eyeing Travers for Code of Honor
Bill Farish’s homebred Code of Honor had no trouble in his return earning a 97 Beyer Speed Figure for his impressive 3 1/4 length score in last Saturday’s Grade 3 Dwyer, traveling last-to-first in his first race since being placed second following the disqualification of Maximum Security in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby.
After winning his debut last August, Code of Honor posted a valiant effort to be second in the Grade 1 Champagne at Belmont after stumbling at the break. After launching his 3-year-old campaign with a fourth-place finish in the Mucho Macho Man at Gulfstream Park, Code of Honor rebounded to win the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth before running third in the Grade 1 Florida Derby ahead of his Kentucky Derby bid.
Hall of Fame conditioner Shug McGaughey said he was pleased with how the Noble Mission colt has matured throughout his 3-year-old campaign.
“I think it showed a little bit of his maturity and where he’s going,” said McGaughey. “Physically, I think he’s bigger, and I think in the Derby he was still a mentally immature horse. That’s why, when Maximum Security came back over on him, he did what he did. Today, he was back in there. He was eating the dirt. When he had to find the hole, and the horses were kind of going everywhere, he found the hole and he was there.”
Looking ahead to Saratoga, McGaughey said he would consider the Grade 2, $600,000 Jim Dandy on July 27, with the ultimate goal being the Grade 1, $1.25 million Runhappy Travers on August 24.
“Hopefully, we can go through the summer and make our mark,” said McGaughey. “We’re looking for the Travers. I’d like to run in the Jim Dandy, but we’ll see how he comes out of this.”