Code of Honor ready to roll in Westchester

ELMONT, N.Y. – Code of Honor, who won two Grade 1 stakes last year as a 3-year-old, completed preparations for this seasonal debut in Saturday’s Grade 3, $100,000 Westchester by working a half-mile in 49.09 seconds Monday morning over Belmont Park’s main track. Belmont clockers caught his final quarter in 23.49 and had him galloping out five furlongs in 1:01 and six furlongs in 1:13.40.

“I thought he went as good as I’ve ever seen him go,” trainer Shug McGaughey said. “He handled his leads good, everything was perfect.”

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Last year, Code of Honor won the Grade 1 Travers and was elevated to first in the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup when the stewards disqualified Vino Rosso for interference. Code of Honor finished his 3-year-old campaign with a seventh-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

Code of Honor, who also won the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth and Grade 3 Dwyer last year, has breezed seven times following an extended break.

“He’s a very athletic horse, so he came around pretty quick,” McGaughey said. “I galloped him for a good while, two-minute-licked him. His breezes have been really, really good.”

Entries for the Westchester, which will be run at 1 1/16 miles, are to be taken Wednesday. Others expected to run include Mihos, Monongahela, Payne, Prendimi, Forewarned, and possibly Endorsed and Wait for It.