Code of Honor puts in strong work over sloppy Belmont surface

ELMONT, N.Y. – Code of Honor, the Travers and Jockey Club Gold Cup winner, worked five furlongs in 1:00.26 Monday morning over a sloppy, sealed Belmont Park main track.

With jockey John Velazquez aboard, Code of Honor started about a length or so behind High North, the 2018 Iowa Derby winner. He drew on even terms before three furlongs in 36.55 seconds, then gradually opened up on his workmate to get to the wire three lengths in front through a final quarter in 23.71 seconds. Code of Honor proceeded to gallop out six furlongs in 1:12.80, seven furlongs in 1:25.93, and a mile in 1:39.40.

Trainer Shug McGaughey said that since the work was going to be longer than usual, he wanted Velazquez aboard, which is why he waited until Monday to work him. Velazquez was unavailable Sunday morning. Despite the ugly-looking surface, both McGaughey and Velazquez were pleased with the drill.

:: BREEDERS’ CUP 2019: See DRF’s special section with top contenders, odds, comments, and more

“I thought he went awful well,” McGaughey said. “I needed to make sure going out there [to Santa Anita] over that track that I got a good, solid work into him. I wanted to put him in the game a little bit, too.”

Velazquez noted that in a work prior to the Kentucky Derby Velazquez worked Code of Honor over a sloppy track at Keeneland.

“I worked him the best I could the first part of the work. At the quarter pole I put my hands down and let him do whatever he wanted,” Velazquez said. “Shug said let him gallop out past the wire. I didn’t have to make him gallop out, he just did it by himself and I was happy the way he did it.”

McGaughey said Code of Honor would have an easy work on Sunday before shipping to California on Monday for a planned start in the 1 1/4-mile Breeders’ Cup Classic on Nov. 2.