Tonalist, Honor Code pointing to Met Mile

ELMONT, N.Y. – Tonalist, a convincing winner of the Grade 3 Westchester Stakes on Saturday at Belmont Park, and Honor Code, fifth in the Grade 2 Alysheba Stakes on Friday at Churchill Downs, are both being pointed to the Grade 1, $1.25 million Metropolitan Handicap on Belmont Stakes Day, their connections said Monday.

Tonalist is 4 for 4 at Belmont, and though his Grade 1 wins include the Belmont Stakes at 1 1/2 miles and the Jockey Club Gold Cup at 1 1/4 miles, he showed Saturday that a one-turn mile is also within his grasp. Owned by Robert Evans, Tonalist rallied from last of four to win by 3 3/4 lengths and earned a career-best 111 Beyer Speed Figure.

“Not many horses win graded stakes from a mile to a mile and a half,” trainer Christophe Clement said. “So far, so good. He came out in good shape. I will speak to Mr. Evans later this week to finalize the plan, but of course you have to think the Met Mile. We’ll talk later this week and go from there.”

Meanwhile, Honor Code returned to New York on Sunday from Kentucky and will be pointed to the Met Mile, trainer Shug McGaughey said. McGaughey didn’t think Honor Code handled the Churchill surface well. But he has shown he can handle Belmont, having lost a neck decision to Havana in the Grade 1 Champagne as a 2-year-old.

“He ran once at Belmont got beat a neck in the Champagne and might have been the best horse,” McGaughey said. “He ran twice at Aqueduct and won both times over there, and he won at Saratoga, so he’s obviously got an affinity for the New York tracks.

McGaughey noted that Honor Code should get a hot pace in the Met Mile with the likes of Private Zone, winner of Saturday’s Churchill Downs Stakes, and Bayern, last year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic winner who ran sixth in the Churchill Downs, in the Met Mile field.