Honor Code Signals Readiness for Met Mile

Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey had a cadre of workers out this morning for the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, but it was Grade 1 Metropilitan Handicap hopeful Honor Code who perhaps had the most eye-catching move, covering five furlongs in a bullet 59.91 seconds under jockey Javier Castellano.

The move was the fastest of 24 at the distance for Honor Code, who is looking to bounce back from a fifth-place finish in the Grade 2 Alysheba at Churchill Downs. The A.P. Indy ridgling opened his 2015 campaign with a victory over Private Zone in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Handicap.

"He did it easily," said McGaughey. "He left his company [Gold Shield] behind. I thought that would carry him along a little father, but Javier said everything was good. He galloped out good, finished good ... all systems go so far.

"I just don't think he liked  the track at Churchill, or at least that's what I'm banking on," he added. "He came out of the race good and has had a couple of good works here at Belmont."

Also out for McGaughey were J Wonder, who went four furlongs in 49.05 on the inner turf in preparation for the Grade 1 Longines Just a Game; Reflecting, who covered the same distance in 49.83 for the Belmont Gold Cup Invitational on Friday, June 5, and multiple Grade 1 winner Imagining, who turned in a bullet five-furlong move in 1:00.08, also on the inner turf.

McGaughey said, however, he was not sure whether the 7-year-old Imagining, a disappointing fifth in the Grade 1 Man o' War, would run in the Grade 1 Knob Creek Manhattan.

"He worked good, I just might give him a little more time," he said.

Source: NYRA