Travers winner Code of Honor dead at 6

Code of Honor, a six-time graded stakes winner including Grade 1 successes in the Travers and Jockey Club Gold Cup in 2019, was euthanized on Dec. 23 after an irreparable bout of colic, Lane’s End Farm announced Monday. He was 6.

Code of Honor, a son of Noble Mission trained by Shug McGaughey, won seven of 20 starts and earned $2,981,320 for William S. Farish, head of Lane’s End.

At 2, Code of Honor won his career debut at Saratoga then finished second to Complexity in the Grade 1 Champagne, a race in which Code of Honor stumbled at the start.

“Watching him overcome his bad break in the Champagne to run second was impressive and showed the heart and determination that’s been a trademark of Code of Honor throughout his career,” McGaughey said upon the retirement of Code of Honor.

At 3, Code of Honor won the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth, finished third in the Florida Derby and third in the Kentucky Derby, though he was elevated to second in the Kentucky Derby following the disqualification from first of Maximum Security.

Following the Derby, Code of Honor won the Grade 3 Dwyer before dominating the Grade 1 Travers at Saratoga. That fall, he crossed the wire second in the Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park, but was elevated to first after the disqualification of Vino Rosso for interference with Code of Honor in the stretch.

At 4, Code of Honor won the Grade 3 Westchester and at 5 he won the Grade 3 Iselin.

“Code of Honor was such a special horse to both our family and the farm,” Lane’s End’s Bill Farish said in a press release. “Winning the Travers with a homebred will stand as one of the greatest highlights in the farm’s history. We are saddened by the loss of Code of Honor, who was just embarking on a promising career at stud.”

Code of Honor’s first foals will hit the ground in 2023.

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