Appealing Tale outruns Honor Code in Kelso

ELMONT, N.Y. - The path of least resistance did not prove to be the path to victory for Honor Code, who could only manage a third-place finish behind loose-on-the-lead winner Appealing Tale in Saturday’s Grade 2, $400,000 Kelso Handicap at sloppy Belmont Park.

Appealing Tale, ridden by Joe Talamo, beat Red Vine by 1 3/4 lengths.

It was another two lengths back to Honor Code, the 3-5 favorite coming off victories in the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap and Grade 1 Whitney Stakes.

Appealing Tale, a 5-year-old gelding by Tale of the Cat owned by Gary Barber, punched his ticket to the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile on Oct. 30, trainer Peter Miller said by phone from his home in Carlsbad, Calif.

Honor Code was using the Kelso as a prep for the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic, a 1 1/4-mile race at Keeneland on Oct. 31. Trainer Shug McGaughey chose the one-mile Kelso over Saturday’s $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup at 1 1/4 miles because he felt the shorter race would set him up better for the Classic.

Disappointed, not discouraged, McGaughey still plans to send Honor Code to the Classic.

Winning the Kelso “wasn’t a cure-all,” McGaughey said. “We were in it to win, obviously, but the way things came up, it just wasn’t his day. He’ll be fine.”

In the Met Mile and Whitney, Honor Code lagged far back behind rapid early fractions. In the Kelso, Honor Code was within eight lengths of the lead after a half-mile run in a modest 46.35 seconds.

“The pace was very slow for those quality horses,” said Javier Castellano, the rider of Honor Code.

Castellano had Honor Code on the inside down the backstretch and swung him very wide for the stretch. But an uncontested Appealing Tale kept going. He ran a mile in 1:34.86 over the sloppy track and returned $15.20 to win as the fourth choice.

Red Vine split horses and moved into second, and Honor Code showed some interest late to be third, saving those who plunged on him in the show pool.

“He finished up fine; the race was over by the time he got going,” McGaughey said.

Talamo said he let Appealing Tale “set his own fractions. Turning for home, I kind of went to try and open up a little bit just because I knew obviously Honor Code and a couple of the horses would be coming. It was just an unbelievable performance by him today.”

“He ran awesome, absolutely awesome,” Miller said. “He missed the break and rushed up and kicked away down the lane. We’re elated and looking forward to the Breeders’ Cup."

Miller said that Appealing Tale would return to the San Luis Rey training center in Southern California to train up to the Breeders’ Cup and ship to Kentucky the week of the race.