ELMONT, N.Y. – It has been 17 years since Shug McGaughey has started a horse in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. If the Hall of Fame trainer was waiting for the right one to bring to that race, perhaps he’s found it in Code of Honor.

On Friday, Code of Honor gave the look of a major player in the $2 million Juvenile on Nov. 2 by working a sharp half-mile in 48.79 seconds over the Belmont Park main track. Not only did he get his final quarter in 23.54 seconds, Code of Honor galloped out five furlongs in 1:00.82 and six furlongs in 1:13.46.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Bellafina and Game Winner, the projected favorites in Breeders’ Cup races for 2-year-olds on Nov. 2 at Churchill Downs, had their penultimate workouts Friday at Santa Anita.

Bellafina, who has won three graded stakes, worked five furlongs in 1:00 in company with the 3-year-old Kazan, who was timed in 1:00.60.

Game Winner, who has won two graded stakes, worked six furlongs in 1:13 in company with the 3-year-old stakes winner Ax Man, who was timed in 1:13.40.

As decision time looms for Mind Your Biscuits, he continues to work toward the Breeders’ Cup at host track Churchill Downs, going six furlongs in 1:15 on Friday.

Mind Your Biscuits, trained by Chad Summers, worked in company with Imperative, a multiple graded stakes winner trained by Anthony Quartarolo. With Mind Your Biscuits on the outside, the duo turned in splits of 13.40 seconds, 26.60, 39.40, and 51.80. They galloped out seven furlongs in 1:28.

ARCADIA, Calif. – In her first two starts in the United States, Lady Prancealot finished second in $100,000 turf stakes for 2-year-old fillies at Del Mar and Santa Anita.

For her third U.S. start, trainer Richard Baltas is aiming for the top of the division. Baltas hopes to run Lady Prancealot in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, a $1 million race at a mile on Nov. 2 at Churchill Downs.

DELRAY BEACH, Fla. – Well Defined and Cookie Dough earned spots in the Breeders’ Cup with runaway victories in the 1 1/16-mile In Reality and My Dear Girl divisions of this year’s Florida Sire Series. But they aren’t the only juveniles who are Breeders’ Cup-bound exiting a one-sided victory on the rich Sire Series card Sept. 29 at Gulfstream Park.

It’s not that Chad Summers can’t make up his mind about the right Breeders’ Cup race for Mind Your Biscuits. We’re not talking about an indecisive Hamlet here. He’s more like the kid at Christmas, staring at three tempting packages and being told he can open only one.

Pre-entries for the Nov. 2-3 Breeders’ Cup at Churchill Downs will be taken Monday. A horse can be pre-entered in a maximum of two Breeders’ Cup races, and five days out Summers and his partners were waiting for the world to take a few more turns before making their move.

Jerry Hollendorfer’s depth in the 2-year-old division is such that even with two of his best colts getting a break, he will still be represented by two horses in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile on Nov. 2 at Churchill Downs.

With Instagrand and Rowayton on the farm, Hollendorfer will send Gunmetal Gray and Dueling to Churchill Downs for the Juvenile. Remarkably, they will be the first two horses the Hall of Fame trainer has started in the Juvenile.

Six months ago, trainer Norm Casse had launched his stable and was on the verge of his first win. On Nov. 2, Casse hopes to have his first starter in a Breeders’ Cup race with Belle Laura in the Juvenile Fillies Turf at Churchill Downs.

That would be a heck of an occasion for a first graded stakes win.

Same time, next year.

That could be the theme for as many as five runners in this year’s $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Churchill Downs, which is looking as though it very well could have a maximum field of 14 when it is run Nov. 3.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – In a Breeders’ Cup at Churchill Downs that is shaping up light on grass runners from California, as well as among 3-year-olds, Paved could represent an exception on both fronts in the Nov. 3 BC Filly and Mare Turf.