Code of Honor, Vekoma targeting Dwyer

ELMONT, N.Y. – Code of Honor, the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth winner, and Vekoma, the Grade 2 Blue Grass Stakes winner, are both targeting the Grade 3, $250,000 Dwyer Stakes at a mile here on July 6 to kick off the second half of their campaigns.

Code of Honor, who crossed the finish line third but was elevated to second in the Kentucky Derby, returned to the work tab on Saturday, breezing three furlongs in 37.33 seconds over the Belmont main track.

Trainer Shug McGaughey said Code of Honor came out of the Kentucky Derby well, but that he was never seriously thinking of running him back in two weeks in the Preakness and knew he wasn’t a horse that wanted the 1 1/2 miles of the Belmont.

“I knew where I wasn’t going to run him,” McGaughey said. “So, I let him get his feet back under him and glad to get him started back.”

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Trainer George Weaver said that Vekoma, who was moved up to 12th in the Kentucky Derby, began galloping at Saratoga last week. Weaver said Vekoma’s performance in the Dwyer will determine whether he attempts go long again with him or cut him back in a race such as the Grade 1 H. Allen Jerkens going seven furlongs at Saratoga on Aug. 24.

Weaver said that Point of Honor, winner of the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes at Pimlico on May 17, will likely be pointed to the pair of two-turn races for 3-year-old fillies at Saratoga: the Grade 1, $500,000 Coaching Club American Oaks on July 20 and the Grade 1, $600,000 Alabama on Aug. 17.

◗ Pure Sensation, who has competed in the last three runnings of the Jaipur Invitational – winning it in 2016 – was not among the initial list of invitees to this year’s running on June 8.

Trainer Christophe Clement said Pure Sensation would be entered in Saturday’s $100,000 Pennsylvania Governor’s Cup at Penn National. Clement said he is on the hunt for firm ground for Pure Sensation, an 8-year-old gelding who has won 11 of 31 starts and earned nearly $1.6 million.

Disco Partner won the last two runnings of the Jaipur for Clement, and is being pointed to that six-furlong turf race again.