A stubborn Honor Code works for Whitney

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - It took Honor Code 50 minutes to breeze a half-mile in 50 seconds Sunday morning at Saratoga.

After spending about 30 minutes on the Oklahoma training track - where he twice refused to break off - Honor Code went over to the main track, where he eventually worked a half-mile in 50.37 seconds in preparation for an expected start in Saturday’s Grade 1, $1.25 million Whitney Stakes. All totaled, his time between the two tracks amounted to 50 minutes.

Honor Code had balked at the start of a workout at Belmont Park on July 12, but eventually went a bullet half-mile in 47 seconds that day.

On Sunday, Honor Code, with exercise rider Lena Lorieul up, came on to the Oklahoma training track at 5:35 a.m. Honor Code backed up to the six-furlong pole, which is pretty close to his trainer Shug McGaughey’s barn. Honor Code stood there, reluctant to go despite the urging of Lorieul.

Eventually, Lorieul turned Honor Code around and backed him up to the eighth pole. From there, he broke into a gallop and it appeared like he was ready to go until he got to the 4 1/2-furlong marker when he stopped. Lorieul again tried to get Honor Code to go but he would have none of it, even when an outrider came to try and help.

McGaughey called Britt Wadsworth, who was on the stable pony that accompanied Honor Code to the track and told her to take Honor Code to the main track.

Once there, Honor Code was fine. He walked through the paddock, backed up to the eighth pole, and then turned around and broke into a gallop. He went the opening quarter of his work in 24.86 seconds and appeared to just be galloping through the lane in 25.51. Honor Code galloped out five furlongs in 1:03.34 and six furlongs in 1:16.92.

“I was a little concerned with what I was doing stopping him so close to home as smart as he is. It just didn’t work,” said McGaughey, referring to having Honor Code back up to the six-furlong pole on the training track. “So when I took him over there it was fine. He worked fine. I would like to have seen him a little sharper than he was but after all he’d been through … He seemed to come back fine.”

Asked if he would still run Honor Code in the Whitney, McGaughey said, “We’ll see what kind of week he has and take it from there.”

Honor Code is coming off a victory in the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap, arguably the best race of his career.

“I thought he was doing better here than I’d ever seen him do,” McGaughey said. “I’m going to have to change something up.”

Entries for the Whitney will be taken on Tuesday.