Despite wide trip and wet track, Code of Honor reels in Endorsed to win Westchester

ELMONT, N.Y. - Neither a wet track nor a wide trip nor a stubborn foe were enough to keep Code of Honor from winning his 4-year-old debut in Saturday’s Grade 3, $100,000 Westchester Stakes at Belmont Park.

Making his first start since a seventh-place finish in last November’s Breeders’ Cup Classic, Code of Honor had to race four to five wide for most of the trip under John Velazquez yet was still able to run down the inside-running Endorsed, who was making his fourth start of the year.

Code of Honor beat Endorsed by a half-length and it was six lengths back to longshot Forewarned in third. It was 5 1/4 lengths back to Jeovia, who was followed by, in order, Mihos, Monongahela, Senior Investment, and Prendimi. Wait for It and Backsideofthemoon scratched.

Heavy rain about 20 minutes before the Westchester turned the Belmont main track from good to near muddy. Trainer Shug McGaughey said he thought Code of Honor would handle the off track, but noted when the track is left open as it was “anything can win.”

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Breaking from the outside post in the nine-horse field, Code of Honor was kept wide by Velazquez down the backside while Prendimi, a 110-1 shot, ran an opening quarter in 22.88 seconds to make the lead.

Endorsed, under Joel Rosario, made an early inside move to hit the front before the half-mile was run in 46.73 seconds. Endorsed had a clear advantage turning into the stretch while Velazquez had to go four wide turning for home. Code of Honor confronted Endorsed above the eighth pole but couldn’t shake him until deep stretch.

“He showed up big today,” Velazquez said. “I had to go around those two horses around the three-eighths pole and [Endorsed] had a really good lead. I didn’t want to ask too much of my horse today. I just wanted to hand ride him and he was good enough to get there.”

Code of Honor, a son of Noble Mission owned by Will S. Farish, covered the 1 1/16 miles in 1:42.39 and returned $4.50 as the favorite. He added the Westchester to a list of stakes accomplishments that includes the Travers, Jockey Club Gold Cup, Dwyer, and Fountain of Youth.

“I thought it was great,” McGaughey said of Saturday’s effort. “I think he beat a pretty good horse in Endorsed. They were pretty far in front of the rest of them. Coming off that long a layoff I was very pleased.”

McGaughey said the Grade 1 Whitney, likely to be run in early August at Saratoga, is a target for Code of Honor, but he said he would keep the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap here on July 4 as a possibility.

McGaughey was hoping to run Performer in Saturday’s Grade 1 Carter Handicap and then the Met Mile, but Performer was scratched from the Carter due to an ankle injury. McGaughey said he could still make the Met with Performer.

“He was 95-percent sound this morning, so I don’t think I’ll lose a lot of time with him,” he said.