Honor Code surges to victory in Met Mile
On a picture perfect day at Belmont Park, the Grade 1 Metropolitan Mile Handicap drew some of the nation’s top handicap runners. Among the field were the fleet Private Zone and Bayern, as well as Belmont specialist Tonalist. Not to be outdone by his more accomplished foes, Honor Code bided his time through blazing early fractions, before inhaling the field in the stretch to post a convincing victory in the “stallion maker” event.
As expected, Private Zone zipped right to the lead from his rail post under regular pilot Martin Pedroza. Bayern quickly took up the second running position, cutting over from post 7 and causing Bay of Plenty to check hard within the first several strides. Pants On Fire showed some speed but then dropped back behind the two leaders rather than get caught up in the developing speed duel.
Racing stride for stride, Private Zone and Bayern clicked off splits of :22.42, :44.92, 1:08.74. Pants on Fire and Bay of Plenty continued on just behind those two with the rest of the field strung out behind them. Trailing the field in dead last was Honor Code with Javier Castellano in the irons.
Wheeling for home, Private Zone continued on strongly on the lead but behind him, Honor Code’s motor was fully revved up and he was coming after the leaders. As the taxing fractions finally began to get the better of Private Zone, Honor Code hit his best stride and simply blew past the pace setter with Tonalist in hot pursuit. However, try as Tonalist might, he could not match Honor Code’s strong closing surge.
At the wire, Honor Code had increased his advantage to a smart 3 3/4 lengths with Tonalist checking in second. Private Zone courageously saved third while Tamarkuz raced evenly to nab fourth. The winning time for the mile race was a hot 1:33.18 over the fast main track.
Wicked Strong ran 5th followed by Kobe’s Back in 6th. The order of finish was completed by Pants On Fire, Noble Moon, Bay of Plenty and Bayern.
Off 7-1 odds, Honor Code returned $16.20/$6.40/$4.30. Favored Tonalist paid $3.50$2.70, and Private Zone returned $4.30. The $2 exacta returned $54.00, the $2 trifecta paid $290.00 and the $2.00 superfecta was worth $2,033.00.
Winning jockey Javier Castellano admitted to having some doubts during the running of the race itself. "It worked out great. He broke well out of the gate, but I was concerned a little bit because for some reason he doesn't show speed early in the race,” he said. “I was kind of concerned about it down the backside. At the half-mile pole, I asked him a little, but he didn't pick it up. At some point I gave up. I just wanted to take my time, and it paid off in the end. I saved all the ground, and forget about it, when I pushed the button he took off and gave me a beautiful stride. By the eighth pole I passed all the horses and it was over."
Winning trainer Shug McGaughey also did not get through the race without sweating bullets there for a minute. "I was a little concerned with how far back we were, but he kicked today and the speed came back to him,” McGaughey explained after the race. “I saw the fractions, but I was also watching Tonalist because I knew if he kicks that [the speed] will come back to him, too. We just kicked harder today.”
Christophe Clement, trainer of runner-up and post time favorite Tonalist, regretted his change in tactics for this spot. “"I changed to the eastern style of racing by making him very sharp. Looking back, maybe it was a mistake,” he lamented. “In the meantime, the winner was very impressive. We live to fight another day."
As for last place finisher Bayern, jockey Martin Garcia explained his uncharacteristic placement as too much too soon. “The ground broke out a little bit [under him at the start], but he tried to break sharp,” Garcia said. “Right away he came back and he was dragging me. I couldn’t slow down and he was just going too fast.”
By A. P. Indy, and out of the Storm Cat mare Serena’s Cat, Honor Code, officially categorized as a ridgling, is a homebred for owners Dell Ridge Farm and Lane’s End Racing. Today’s victory was the strapping bay’s 5th win in 8 career starts and his first grade 1 triumph. Other wins include the Grade 2 Remsen as a 2-year old and the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Handicap earlier this year.
Plans for Honor Code’s next start are currently up in the air. "I don't know what I'll do,” McGaughey said when asked. “We've got the Suburban here going around one turn. He did win the Remsen going around two turns but that was kind of a crazy race. I'll just have to try and figure it out."