Honor Code unleashes powerful late kick to win Met Mile

ELMONT, N.Y. – The Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap was one of the few important races that had eluded trainer Shug McGaughey in a Hall of Fame career that has spanned 36 years.

That changed Saturday when Honor Code, under Javier Castellano, unleashed a powerful kick that carried him past all nine of his rivals in a star-studded cast to win the $1.25 million Met Mile by 3 3/4 lengths at Belmont Park.

Among those he defeated was Tonalist, last year’s Belmont Stakes winner, who finished second by two lengths over Private Zone, a three-time Grade 1 winner. Those two horses previously had combined to win six graded stakes in as many tries at Belmont.

Private Zone finished third, 1 1/4 lengths ahead of Tamarkuz. He was followed, in order, by Wicked Strong, Kobe’s Back, Pants On Fire, Noble Moon, Bay of Plenty, and Bayern, last year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic winner, who finished last after contesting the pace following a stumbling start.

“I’ve always wanted it. I’ve always held it in high esteem,” McGaughey said of the Met Mile. “Seeking the Gold just got beat in it. Saarland just got beat in it. So, it’s a big thrill for me – not only for the horse and the connections -- to be able to win the race.”

It was the fifth win from eight starts for Honor Code, a son of A.P. Indy owned by Lanes End Racing and Dell Ridge Farm, the latter also being the breeder.

It also was the first Grade 1 win for a horse who came within a nose of winning the Grade 1 Champagne here at 2 and who got hurt and was knocked off the Triple Crown trail at 3.

Honor Code also bounced back from a fifth-place finish in his last start, the Grade 2 Alysheba at Churchill Downs over a track that Honor Code didn’t handle, according to McGaughey.

As is his wont, Honor Code was last early as Private Zone, under Martin Pedroza, rocketed out of the gate and ran an opening quarter of 22.42 seconds and a half-mile of 44.92 while being pressed by Bayern, who stumbled badly out of the gate and who dragged Martin Garcia to the front.

While McGaughey thought the contested pace was going to help Honor Code, he was fearful it also would help Tonalist, who also was off the pace under John Velazquez and who figured to get the jump on Honor Code.

After saving ground down the backside, Castellano guided Honor Code toward the outside leaving the three-eighths pole, and approaching the quarter pole, he was six to seven wide. Castellano asked his horse to run at the quarter pole, and Honor Code propelled past the field inside the eighth pole en route to the victory.

Honor Code covered the mile in 1:33.18 and returned $16.20 to win.

“I thought he was a little far back,” McGaughey said. “The one thing I was worried about with the fractions was I knew they’d have to come back, but I was a little bit worried about Tonalist and where he was because they were going to come back to him, too. When he got to running, I thought he was going to have a big chance.”

Castellano said he was worried down the backside that he was too far back but let the horse run the way he preferred.

“I tried to ask a little bit. He didn’t pick it up. At some point, I gave up and said, ‘Let him get his stride,’ ” Castellano said. “I saved a little bit of ground and forget about it. I went to ask him and pushed the button, and he just went forward and gave me a beautiful stride. By the eighth pole, I passed all the horses.”

Tonalist was a bit sharp early in the race, but John Velazquez got him settled behind three horses, and he settled in nicely, the jockey said.

“By the three-eighths pole I pulled him out, he started racing very nice, and then this horse passed me, and I was like, ‘Damn,’ ” Velazquez said. “I thought he was going to come little by little. He passed by me like I was not running.”