Aqueduct: Honor Code can make statement in Remsen Stakes

[bc_video_id:311064:]OZONE PARK, N.Y. – The Kentucky Derby was the furthest thing from trainer Shug McGaughey’s mind when he ran Orb in a one-mile maiden race on the undercard of the Cigar Mile program last Nov. 24 at Aqueduct.

It is with the Kentucky Derby in mind that McGaughey is running Honor Code in Saturday’s Grade 2, $400,000 Remsen Stakes for 2-year-olds at 1 1/8 miles. The Remsen will be run as race 9, one race after the Grade 1 Cigar Mile, and offers 17 qualifying points (10 to the winner) for next year’s Kentucky Derby.

With a victory in the Remsen, Honor Code could stamp himself as the winter-book favorite for the Kentucky Derby – a race McGaughey won with Orb won this spring – on May 4 at Churchill Downs.

“This horse is farther advanced at this time than Orb was,” McGaughey said. “Orb was a maiden. I was just thinking of getting him to Aqueduct. With this horse, if everything is right, it’s a different story.”

Off an eye-catching last-to-first maiden win at Saratoga on Aug. 31 and a neck loss to Havana in last month’s Grade 1 Champagne at Belmont, Honor Code likely would have been the favorite in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita, a track that tends to play against horses with Honor Code’s late-running style.

“That was one of the reasons we didn’t go to California,” McGaughey said. “We wanted to try to have a nice horse as a 3-year-old. We might have protected him a little bit, in that sense of the word, and we had this race out there.”

Honor Code has worked five times since the Champagne, though he missed a work Nov. 3.

“We haven’t had any issues to speak of,” McGaughey said. “I’m satisfied with the way he’s going into it.”

Honor Code, a son of A.P. Indy, drew post 2 and will be ridden by Javier Castellano.

Cairo Prince, winner of the Grade 2 Nashua Stakes, drew the outside post in the nine-horse field, while Noble Moon, a troubled third in the Nashua, will break from the rail. The others entered are Master Lightning, Afleet Accompli, Mental Iceberg, Matuszak, Wicked Strong, and Intense Holiday.

Marathon Lady in Comely

The Kentucky-based Marathon Lady has earned more than $275,000 this year, but she remains in search of her first stakes victory. She hopes to take care of that in Saturday’s Grade 3, $400,000 Comely Stakes for 3-year-old fillies. The one-mile Comely switched places on the calendar with the Gazelle, which was moved to the first Saturday in April.

Marathon Lady was beaten a nose by Silsita in the Bourbonette Oaks at Turfway Park and a neck by Fiftyshadesofhay in the Black-Eyed Susan in the spring. In the summer, Marathon Lady was third to Close Hatches in the Mother Goose at Belmont and third to Princess of Sylmar in the Coaching Club American Oaks at Saratoga.

Following a break, Marathon Lady finished fourth as the odds-on favorite in the Remington Park Oaks in September. In that race, Marathon Lady faded in the stretch after chasing Montana Native and Gold Medal Dancer, who ran first and second around the track.

“I thought it was a throw-out race,” said Steve Hobby, who earlier this year won the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps in New York with Tiz Miz Sue. “I have no excuse. I’m hoping she just didn’t like the racetrack. It’s the only bad race she’s run all year.”

Marathon Lady drew post 5 in a 10-horse field and will be ridden for the first time by Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith.

Wedding Toast, trained by Kiaran McLaughlin for Godolphin Racing, likely will be the favorite based on her three straight victories. She will break from post 2 under Castellano.

The others entered are My Happy Face, winner of last year’s Grade 2 Tempted here; Galloping Giraffe, Flash Forward, Sheer Drama, Sky Girl, Teen Pauline, Toasting, and Street Girl, who also is entered in Friday’s Go for Wand.

Pletcher trio in Demoiselle

Led by dominant Tempted Stakes winner Stopchargingmaria, trainer Todd Pletcher sends out three of the six 2-year-old fillies entered for Saturday’s Grade 2, $400,000 Demoiselle Stakes at 1 1/8 miles.

Pletcher has won the last two Demoiselles with Unlimited Budget (2012) and Disposablepleasure (2011) and four of the last 12, having also won it with Ashado (2003) and Smok’n Frolic (2001).

Stopchargingmaria will be an odds-on favorite coming off her 10 3/4-length victory in the Grade 3 Tempted over the main track Nov. 3. She also ran second in the Grade 1 Spinaway and third in the Grade 1 Frizette. Stopchargingmaria is owned by Mike Repole, who owned Unlimited Budget.

None of Stopchargingmaria’s five rivals has run in anything but maiden races, including Pletcher trainees Lexi Morgan, who won a maiden race Nov. 8, and Got Lucky, who still is a maiden after running second in her lone start.

Penwith, who beat Got Lucky; America, a maiden winner for Bill Mott and owner Bobby Flay; and the New York-bred maiden winner Mlle. Minuit are the others entered.