Honor Code's 2015 debut pushed back to March

Trainer Shug McGaughey has decided to tweak the original itinerary he set out for Honor Code when the horse first arrived in south Florida. Instead of launching his 2015 campaign in the one-mile Hal’s Hope on Jan. 10 as a prep for the Grade 1 Donn Handicap, Honor Code will now start just once at the meet, in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Handicap on March 7.

“Everything’s fine, he’s scheduled to work on Saturday at Payson Park,” McGaughey said on Thursday. “But after talking it over with the owners, we felt it made good sense to take it easy with him early in the year so we’d have a fresh horse for the summer.”

Honor Code returned from an eight-month vacation to register an impressive win in his 3-year-old finale Nov. 22 at Aqueduct. He rallied from far back off a speed-favoring strip to beat a strong group of allowance rivals, including the 4-year-old stakes winner Maleeh, going 6 1/2 furlongs.

Bluegrass Singer may run Jan. 1

Trainer Marcus Vitali said he hasn’t rule out wheeling back recent allowance winner Bluegrass Singer in the Mucho Macho Man Stakes (formerly the Gulfstream Park Derby) on New Year’s Day. Bluegrass Singer, a 2-year-old son of Bluegrass Cat, led throughout to register a 4 3/4-length victory under Edgar Prado going a mile here Wednesday, posting a career-best 89 Beyer Speed Figure.

“I’ve always seen good things in this horse,” said Vitali. “He’s getting bigger and stronger every day, and I appreciate the opportunity from Crossed Sabres to have him in my barn. I’m trying to nurse him into the routes. I don’t think it’s out of the question he’ll go a mile and a sixteenth or a mile and an eighth. Nor is it out of the question he could come back in the Mucho Macho Man. Even though it’s only a couple of weeks, my horses are usually ready to run when it’s time, even on short rest.”

Prado replaced regular rider Orlando Bocachica aboard Bluegrass Singer on Wednesday.

“I just wanted to shake things up a little this week,” said Vitali. “I’ve been a little disappointed in the way my barn has been performing recently. I’m not pointing fingers, believe me. I just feel sometimes as a trainer you have to make some decisions, some changes. Orlando’s not fired by any means. We’ve had too much success together. He’ll be back.”