Honor Code, Liam's Map on path to rematch in BC Classic

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The Breeders’ Cup Classic at Keeneland on Oct. 31 is the intended target for the top three finishers from Saturday’s Grade 1 Whitney Stakes at Saratoga. How that trio gets to that $5 million race still is to be determined.

Honor Code, who ran down Liam’s Map in the final jump to win the $1.25 million Whitney – thus earning a fees-paid berth in the Classic – could go in either the Grade 2, $400,000 Kelso at a mile or the Grade 1, $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup at 1 1/4 miles, both Oct. 3 at Belmont Park.

Liam’s Map, who set wickedly fast fractions yet almost stole the Whitney, could come back in the Grade 1, $600,000 Woodward here Sept. 5, said trainer Todd Pletcher, who cautioned that there is no need to make a decision for a few weeks.

Tonalist, who finished third, beaten 1 3/4 lengths, will point to the Jockey Club Gold Cup, a race he won last year after finishing third in the Travers Stakes here.

Meanwhile, Eric Guillot said Moreno, last year’s Whitney winner who finished eighth Saturday, would be retired.

Honor Code rallied from as far back as 19 1/4 lengths to run down Liam’s Map in the final stride. Both horses earned a 113 Beyer Speed Figure for the effort.

On Sunday, Shug McGaughey, the trainer of Honor Code, said his horse came out of the race “very good.” Over the next few weeks, McGaughey will debate whether the Kelso or the Jockey Club Gold Cup is the better option to get Honor Code to the Classic.

“The one thing I got to try and sort of figure out is if we run him a mile and a quarter, is that going to take a little of the sting out of him to where if we ran him a mile, it might put a little sting in him,” McGaughey said.

Honor Code is a stone-cold closer who would benefit from a hot pace. In lieu of that, McGaughey is thinking a one-mile prep race might have Honor Code a little sharper to be a tad closer in the Classic if the pace is not as hot as it was Saturday, when Liam’s Map ran a half-mile in 46 seconds and three-quarters of a mile in 1:09.72.

Asked if he would ultimately want to face Triple Crown winner American Pharoah in the Classic, McGaughey said he would.

“I’m not saying that I want to go and beat him, but I don’t care about ducking,” McGaughey said. “If he were to win his next start, he’d be the favorite, where if he didn’t win, I’d rather be the favorite. That’s what I got in this thing to do. When I started training, I didn’t want to go to Latonia. I wanted the chance to compete in the big races. I never won the Classic. I’ve been second in it a couple of times. It’s definitely one of the races I really want to win, but he’s not going to run in there just because Shug wants to win.”

In his first start in Grade 1 company, Liam’s Map showed that he belonged with a dynamite effort that fell just short. Jockey Mike Smith said that when he hit Liam’s Map left-handed, the colt’s head came up, and the colt stopped for a stride.

“The horse ran great and just got caught,” Pletcher said.

With only two starts this year, Liam’s Map could run back in the Woodward, Pletcher said, as opposed to waiting for the Kelso or Jockey Club.

“I think speed is his weapon, so you want to use it without abusing it,” Pletcher said. “We’ll see how he comes out of it, what his energy level is like, see if he bounces back in time to consider the Woodward, which maybe he will.”

Pletcher said it is “certainly possible” for Liam’s Map to get 1 1/4 miles.

Christophe Clement, the trainer of Tonalist, said he felt his horse gave a very good performance in the Whitney. His original plan was to wait for the Jockey Club Gold Cup, and he intends to stick with that plan. Tonalist has a record of 4-2-0 from six graded stakes starts at Belmont Park.

“He finished very well going a mile and an eighth,” Clement said. “You got to be excited going to the Jockey Club Gold Cup.”

Noble Bird, who finished last in the Whitney, came out of the race “pretty banged up,” trainer Mark Casse said Monday. Casse said he’s done some tests and taken X-rays on Noble Bird, but nothing significant has shown up.

“We’ll play it by ear,” Casse said. “We’ll go easy with him with for a little while. If all goes well, there’s a race at Churchill Downs” – the $175,000 Lukas Classic – on Sept. 26. “If all is not well, we’ll give him the rest of the year off and aim for next year.”

Meanwhile, Jimmy Jerkens said his pair of Whitney runners – Wicked Strong (fourth) and V. E. Day (fifth) came out of the race in good order. He said Wicked Strong is possible to come back in the Woodward, while V. E. Day could return to the turf.