Social Inclusion Upends Honor Code

8th-GPX, $61,500, Alw, 3yo, 1 1/16m, 1:40 4/5 (NTR), ft. 
1–SOCIAL INCLUSION, 119, c, 3, Pioneerof the Nile–Saint Bernadette (GSP, $145,900) , by Saint Ballado. ($60,000 yrl '12 KEESEP). O-Rontos Racing Stable Corp; B-Robert Tillyer, Martin Keogh & Dr C Blackey (KY); T-Manuel J Azpurua. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $59,400. 
2–Honor Code, 124, r, 3, A.P. Indy–Serena's Cat, by Storm Cat. 
3–We're All Set, 119, c, 3, With Distinction–True Glitter, by Robin Des Pins. ($27,000 yrl '12 OBSAUG; $30,000 2yo '13 OBSAPR). 
Margins: 10, 17 1/4, 17. Odds: 1.40, 0.50, 8.20. 
    “TDN Rising Star” Honor Code was pounded into long odds-on favoritism in this sophomore debut and first start since nipping Cairo Prince (Pioneerof the Nile) in the GII Remsen S. in late November. But Rontos Racing Stable's Social Inclusion, who loomed the lone speed off a smashing 7 1/2-length debut success sprinting over the Gulfstream main track over a biased track Feb. 22, took advantage of his rail draw and first-time Lasix and made every pole a winning one, wiring the field as the only other logical betting option in this field of five. The final time of 1:40.87 shaved 0.13 seconds off the previous track record set by Devil's Cave (Put It Back) in winning the GII Sabin S. Feb. 16. “From the first time we trained him, we knew he was something special,” said owner Ron Sanchez of Rontos Racing Stable Corp. “The next step, we're going to wait and see how he comes out of the race. We'll take our time. We'll wait until next week and decide, but we definitely want to go to the [Kentucky] Derby.” Honor Code looked a bit washy in his right shoulder in the few minutes prior to the start and proved difficult to load on a couple of occasions. He broke alertly enough, but was given a few turndowns of the whip by Javier Castellano in the first couple of strides, and Specialnightaction (Elusive Quality), also owned by Rontos Racing and drawn just to the inside of Honor Code, kept the 1-5 favorite parked out four wide into the first turn. Castellano dropped Honor Code back into fourth turning up thebackstretch, but sensed that the pacesetter was getting away and sent his mount between rivals into the teeth of a strong internal quarter mile. He did the chasing from there, but Social Inclusion was always going well on the engine and was not for catching in the short run to the first winning post. “I knew how the race was going to set up,” Honor Code's trainer Shug McGaughey admitted. “[Social Inclusion] had speed…so I knew he would go. The track was really fast this morning, and horses ran 1:08 and change earlier in the day. I'm disappointed he didn't win, but we got a race into him and I don't think [jockey Javier Castellano] killed him by any means. We'll see if he goes forward off of this. I think the horse that won is a very, very special horse.” Click for the brisnet.com chart or VIDEO.

Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.

Copy Article Link

X

Never miss another story from the TDN

Click Here to sign up for a free subscription.