Honor Way rallies for Garland of Roses triumph

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Honor Way won her second consecutive stakes race, rallying from off the pace under Jose Lezcano to reel in Honey I’m Good and take the $100,000 Garland of Roses by 1 1/2 lengths Sunday at Aqueduct.

Honey I’m Good held second by a neck over Pacific Gale. Saguaro Row finished fourth, followed by Bridlewood Cat and Lady Ninja. Hey Mamaluke scratched.

The win came five weeks after Honor Way took the Pumpkin Pie Stakes at Belmont Park on Nov. 1.

It was the 13th victory from 41 lifetime starts for Honor Way, a 6-year-old daughter of Caleb’s Posse owned by Saul Kupferberg and trained by Charlton Baker. It was her fourth win from seven starts since racing resumed in New York in June following an 80-day shutdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

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“She’s definitely on the top of her game right now,” Baker said. “Since Saratoga, she’s been doing unbelievably good. She got that little break from the pandemic and she blossomed after that.”

Under Jose Lezcano, Honor Way was fifth of six early while Honey I’m Good opened up a 1 1/2-length lead after a half-mile in 46.32 seconds chased by Pacific Gale.

Lezcano launched a wide bid approaching the top of the lane, but Honey I’m Good was still clear in midstretch. Honor Way kept on coming while Honey I’m Good, perhaps feeling the effects of a six-month layoff, couldn’t continue on.

Honor Way covered the six furlongs in 1:11.09 and returned $7.50 as the favorite.

“At the five-sixteenths I started asking her and she really started to pick it up and she finished up pretty good,” Lezcano said. “I got so much horse at the quarter pole when I asked her she really took off.”

Baker said the plan is to keep Honor Way in training in 2021. She could target a race such as the $100,000 Interborough Stakes going seven furlongs on Jan. 18.