Honor Code, Protonico clash in Alysheba

Honor Code will go for his third straight win in the Alysheba (Leslie Martin/Adam Coglianese Photography) Its a year late and a furlong and a half shorter than originally hoped, but Honor Code (A.P. Indy) has finally made it to Churchill Downs. A leading early candidate for the 2014 Kentucky Derby (G1) before he was sidelined by injury, the regally-bred ridgling will look to enhance his status as one of the nation’s best older horses Friday in the $400,000 Alysheba over 1 1/16 miles. His classic aspirations derailed by a suspensory injury last March, Lane’s End’s multiple Grade 2 winner has started twice since November, both in one-turn events. Rallying from 11 lengths down to win by a length against allowance company going 6 1/2 furlongs at Aqueduct November 22, Honor Code next made an epic close to land the March 7 Gulfstream Park H. (G2) by a half-length over two-time Vosburgh (G1) winner Private Zone, making up 10 lengths in the final quarter-mile of the one-mile event. With Shared Belief (Candy Ride) possibly sidelined for the remainder of the year and California Chrome (Lucky Pulpit) away in Europe, there is an opening for Honor Code to move to the head of the class among the older male ranks on dirt with a strong performance. The Shug McGaughey charge might use this as a stepping stone to either the Metropolitan H. (G1) on June 6 or the Stephen Foster H. (G1) the following week.

In a race that lacks much pace on paper, the horse to beat might be Protonico
(Giant’s Causeway). The Todd Pletcher trainee recently seized control of a
paceless Ben Ali (G3) at Keeneland and waltzed home a five-length winner of the
nine-furlong test. The four-year-old also scored wins last season in the Smarty
Jones (G3) and Discovery H. (G3), and was a half-length second in the Clark H.
(G1) over this track in November.

Other notables in the 10-horse lineup include Ride On Curlin (Curlin), a
veteran of last year’s Triple Crown and five times graded stakes-placed; Grade 2
winner Neck ‘n Neck (Flower Alley), a four-time winner over the track and
runner-up in the Ben Ali; and Call Me George (Point Given), a 22-1 upset winner
of the New Orleans H. (G2) last time.

Gold Medal Dancer (Medaglia d’Oro), who has the distinction of being the only
female to defeat champion Untapable (Tapit) in the 16 months, is one of nine
fillies and mares set to travel 1 1/16 miles in the $300,000
La
Troienne (G1).

Catching Untapable on an off day and on an off track, Gold Medal Dancer led
wire-to-wire in the March 14 Azeri (G2) at Oaklawn Park. However, Untapable
earned her revenge last time in the Apple Blossom H. (G1), winning by 2 1/2
lengths with Gold Medal Dancer back in third.

Runner-up in last year’s La Troienne, Molly Morgan (Ghostzapper) went on to
score victories in the Fleur de Lis H. (G2), Gardenia (G3), and Chilukki (G2)
for trainer Dale Romans. She figures to be sharper second off the layoff having
run a distant third in the Royal Delta (G2) at Gulfstream in her season debut.
The 6 1/2-length winner of that race, Sheer Drama (Burning Roma), will be
looking for her second graded win in a row Friday.

Frivolous (Empire Maker), upset winner of the Falls City H. (G2) over the
track in November, was off the board in a Keeneland allowance and will need to
improve. Also lining up are a trio of four-year-olds that won graded stakes last
year. My Miss Sophia (Unbridled’s Song) won the Gazelle (G2) and finished second
in the Kentucky Oaks (G1) before finishing out of the money in her last two
starts of the year. Previously with Pletcher, she is now trained by Bill Mott.

Grade 3 scorer Sweet Whiskey (Old Fashioned) was kept in one-turn races last
year, her best loss being a close second in the Acorn (G1). She makes her
two-turn debut off a comeback third in the Inside Information (G2) March 21.
Also in the mix is Tiz Windy (Tiznow), the Indiana Oaks (G2) winner who was
subsequently fifth in the Falls City, Royal Delta, and Doubledogdare (G3).

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