Code of Honor

In a non-pandemic world, this column would be wrapping up the just-concluded Triple Crown, and top-level graded stakes racing in America would be going into that early-summer lull between the spring Classics and the July openings of Saratoga and Del Mar. But this is the new normal imposed by COVID-19, and one of the post-lockdown perks it provides is that elite-level on-track action is just now starting to heat up. Belmont Park's stakes-centric card on Saturday dovetailed nicely into Santa Anita's gauntlet of graded races, and top honors for best...

Confidently handled by Hall of Famer John Velazquez, last year's comebacking GI Runhappy Travers S. hero Code of Honor (Noble Mission {GB}) kicked off his 4-year-old campaign with a well-timed decision in Saturday's GIII Westchester at Belmont. Drawn widest in the field of nine, the Farish homebred settled slightly worse than midfield and was kept in the clear as Endorsed (Medaglia d'Oro) made an aggressive mid-race move beneath Joel Rosario to assume command at halfway. Code of Honor began to hit his best stride three furlongs from home and had...

Dual Grade I winner Code of Honor (Noble Mission {GB}) makes his first start as an older horse Saturday in Belmont's GIII Westchester S. Victor of the GII Fountain of Youth S. last term, the Farish homebred captured the GIII Dwyer S. going a mile over this strip last summer and followed suit with a decisive score in the GI Runhappy Travers S. in August. Crossing the line a nose short of Vino Rosso (Curlin) in this venue's GI Jockey Club Gold Cup S. Sept. 28, the chestnut was promoted...

There was no better place to be in American horse racing than Belmont Park Wednesday morning as the track prepared to reopen New York racing later in the day after months of being shuttered by the coronavirus pandemic. That's where Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey called in from as the Green Group Guest of the Week on this week's TDN Writers' Room podcast presented by Keeneland. In a wide-ranging discussion, McGaughey talked about the return of stable star Code of Honor (Noble Mission {GB}), racing finally resuming at his...

Shug McGaughey joins the TDN Writers' Room to talk about the return of New York racing along with his star four-year-old Code of Honor.

Code of Honor (Noble Mission {GB}), an Eclipse Award finalist for champion 3-year-old male in 2019, is targeting the GIII Westchester S. for his return on opening weekend at Belmont Park June 6. The dominating GI Runhappy Travers S. hero has post five workouts at Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey's Payson Park base in Florida this spring dating back to mid-April. He is currently in training with McGaughey at Belmont Park. "He went five-eighths in 1:01 and change the other day [at Payson May 17]," McGaughey said. "He was a...