Complexity, Code of Honor square off in Kelso Handicap

ELMONT, N.Y. – On the first Saturday of October in 2018, Complexity beat Code of Honor by three lengths in the Grade 1 Champagne, a one-turn mile race at Belmont Park. On the first Saturday of October 2020, Complexity and Code of Honor will meet for the first time since the Champagne in the Grade 2, $150,000 Kelso Handicap, also a one-turn mile race at Belmont.

Code of Honor, who was compromised by a stumbling start in the 2018 Champagne, has had the more accomplished career, winning the Grade 1 Travers and the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup as a 3-year-old and earning more than $2.5 million. Complexity went 1 for 3 in a 3-year-old campaign interrupted by physical problems and is 1 for 2 this year with an allowance victory going a one-turn mile here in July and a runner-up finish in the Grade 1 Forego run over an extremely sloppy Saratoga track.

While Chad Brown, the trainer of Complexity, wasn’t happy with how fast his horse went early in the Forego, he has to like the fact Complexity looms the primary speed in what will be a four-horse Kelso on Saturday. Five were entered, but Mo Dont No is not shipping due to a cough, owner Ron Paolucci texted Thursday.

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Brown said he had toyed with the idea of running Complexity in the six-furlong Vosburgh last weekend, but stayed with the original plan.

“I like the pace scenario at a mile,” Brown said. “We momentarily thought about the Vosburgh, but I like a little more time between races for him. He’s really coming into the race well.”

At 119 pounds, Complexity will be in receipt of five pounds from Code of Honor.

Code of Honor began his 4-year-old campaign with a half-length victory over Endorsed in the Grade 3 Westchester here June 6. Following a third in the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap on July 6 and a fourth in the Grade 1 Whitney on Aug. 1, trainer Shug McGaughey opted to back off and start over.

McGaughey said the COVID-19 pandemic forced races to be conducted closer together than he would like and it might have been a mistake to run in both the Met Mile and Whitney.

In the Whitney, McGaughey said “I thought he had him in good position and he just didn’t fire. The reason being things were bunched up too much. I think he likes his races spaced. I think you can get away with it once, but maybe not twice.”

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Code of Honor has been working well toward this race, in which he will have a new rider, Javier Castellano, as regular pilot John Velazquez is at Pimlico to ride Kentucky Derby winner Authentic in the Preakness.

Endorsed finished sixth in the 2018 Champagne. He also finished a close second to Code of Honor in the Westchester. After finishing second to Spinoff in the Alydar, a two-turn, 1 1/8-mile race, trainer Bill Mott is looking forward to cutting him back to a one-turn mile.

“The bottom line is he’s fairly versatile as far as his distances,” Mott said. “He does seem to be effective at a mile.”

Stan the Man scratched out of Saturday’s Frank J. De Francis Dash at Pimlico to run in this spot. While he has shown speed going a one-turn mile in the past, he did relax nicely with blinkers off to win the Tale of the Cat Stakes going six furlongs on Aug. 28 at Saratoga.

Frank’s Rockette looks tough

Mott had been set on sending Frank’s Rockette to Saturday’s Grade 3, $150,000 Miss Preakness Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Pimlico. But when advised how light Saturday’s Grade 2, $150,000 Gallant Bloom Handicap at Belmont Park was shaping up, the Hall of Fame trainer called an audible and supplemented the filly to this 6 1/2-furlong race for 3-year-olds and up.

On paper, at least, it looks like a smart move.

Frank’s Rockette, riding a three-race winning streak, looms a strong favorite in the Gallant Bloom, a race that drew six but will be run with no more than five. Bronx Beauty, winner of the Regret Stakes at Monmouth, will run in Saturday’s $100,000 Skipat Stakes at Pimlico.

Frank’s Rockette is 4 for 5 this year, including a sharp 2 1/2-length victory in the Grade 2 Prioress on Sept. 5 at Saratoga. Prior to that, she won the Grade 3 Victory Ride here by a head and an allowance race at Churchill Downs.

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“She gained weight over the summer, she looks better now than she did all spring,” Mott said.

Despite being the only 3-year-old in the field, Frank’s Rockette is the starting highweight at 119 pounds. Junior Alvarado rides.

The main threat to Frank’s Rockette is Royal Charlotte, who won last year’s Victory Ride and Prioress. Royal Charlotte is 0 for 3 this year, including a runner-up finish to Bronx Beauty in the Regret.

“She kind of got shuffled at the start and was too far behind and it took the starch out of her,” Brown said. “Hopefully, she can break with the field and get a little better position.”

Pacific Gale, Honor Way, and Bertranda complete the field.