Twelve months ago, trainer Shug McGaughey had a promising
colt named Orb, who broke his maiden in late November for longtime clients
Stuart Janney III and Ogden Mills Phipps. That colt blossomed at the right time,
winning a first-level allowance at Gulfstream Park prior to taking the trophies
in the Fountain of Youth and Florida Derby, and putting up a
career-best performance in the Kentucky Derby.
McGaughey has another youngster in his barn that could take
him back to Louisville, Kentucky, for the first Saturday in May. Honor Code, a son of A.P.
Indy campaigned by Lane’s End Racing and Dell Ridge Farm, has already captured
his share of headlines. After a rousing debut score at Saratoga, the dark bay
put in a strong run in the October 5 Champagne at Belmont and
came up a neck short to Havana.
He closed out 2013 by taking advantage of
trotting-horse fractions in the Remsen at Aqueduct on November 30
and fought back to deny the highly regarded Cairo Prince that afternoon.
Like his sire, Honor Code was born with an un-descended
testicle, and McGaughey shipped the colt to Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital in
Lexington to have it removed.
“He was a ridgling and had a testicle taken out,” the Hall
of Fame trainer explained. “I think he probably knew it was there. Obviously, he
was running good, so how much (it bothered him) I don’t know. But I wanted to
get it out of the way so it would be one less thing that I had to worry about.”
Honor Code, a great-grandson of champion Serena’s Song, has
rejoined McGaughey’s Florida string.
“He’s doing fine,” McGaughey said. “He’s up at Payson Park
and training every day. I’ll probably start working him around the first of the
year and see where it takes us. I would think the Fountain of Youth would — if
everything went right — probably be in our plans, but before that, I don’t
know.”
Honor Code closed as the favored individual at 10-1 in Pool 1 of the Kentucky Derby
Future Wager, but McGaughey stressed that fortune will play a large role in the
next few months.
“At this time, Orb had just broken his maiden, and this
horse won a Grade 2 and just got beat in a Grade 1,” McGaughey said when asked
to compare the two runners. “With Orb, starting around the first of January, he
just started improving, improving, improving. Everything went right with him. I
could work him when I wanted to work him, it didn’t rain, and we’ll just have to
see if all that happens with Honor Code.
“He doesn’t have to improve as much as
Orb did, but, hopefully, he’ll improve a little bit and we can get the same
breaks with him that we did with Orb. Everything went right all winter and
spring with Orb.”
Also settling into the same shedrow as Honor Code is Top
Billing, a son of Curlin who put in an eye-catching run in the slop to score by
5 1/4 lengths in his debut at Laurel Park on December 6. McGaughey trains that chestnut for William
S. Farish and E.J. Hudson Jr. Top Billing will likely make an appearance at
Gulfstream soon.
“He’s at Payson Park also,” McGaughey noted. “I’ll look for
a spot for him when I see the new (condition) book.”
McGaughey is scheduled to
saddle Mr Speaker for a start in Saturday’s Grade 3, $100,000 Dania Beach, a mile
turf stakes for two-year-olds. The son of Pulpit broke his maiden in his third
start last time out, leading all the way to post a 2 3/4-length triumph over
the firm Belmont Park turf.
“The first time he ran, he ran better than it looked,” McGaughey
asserted. “He missed a hole and got farther back than we wanted to. He ran
really good the second time. A bug boy rode him and might have moved a little
early on him. Next time he ran, he ran great. We had him entered in a stake at
Aqueduct and they called the races off that day. This was the next logical
spot.”
Javier Castellano has been named to ride the Phipps Stable
homebred colt, who has run all three of his races on turf.
“The female family ran on the grass and the Pulpits seem to
like the grass,” McGaughey said. “But I think he’ll run on the dirt, too.”
Bet Horseracing Free Online at TwinSpires.com