Code of Honor (May 23, 2016 – December 23, 2022) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 2019 Dwyer Stakes, Travers Stakes, and Jockey Club Gold Cup, and came second in the 2019 Kentucky Derby.[1] He was euthanized on December 23, 2022, following an inoperable bout of colic.[2]
| Code of Honor | |
|---|---|
| Sire | Noble Mission |
| Grandsire | Galileo |
| Dam | Reunited |
| Damsire | Dixie Union |
| Sex | Stallion |
| Foaled | May 23, 2016 |
| Died | December 23, 2022 (aged 6) |
| Country | United States |
| Color | Chestnut |
| Breeder | William S. Farish III |
| Owner | William S. Farish III |
| Trainer | Claude R. McGaughey III |
| Record | 13:6-2-3 |
| Earnings | $2,473,320 |
| Major wins | |
| Fountain of Youth Stakes (2019) Dwyer Stakes (2019) Jockey Club Gold Cup (2019) Travers Stakes (2019) Westchester Stakes (2020) | |
Racing career
edit2018: Two-year-old season
editCode of Honor won his debut on 18 August 2018 at Saratoga Racecourse, and then came second in the Grade 1 Champagne Stakes on October 6. He stumbled at the beginning of the race but mounted a comeback.[3]
2019: Three-year-old season
editOn 5 January 2019, Code of Honor came in fifth in the Mucho Macho Man Stakes, then rebounded to win the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth Stakes on March 2, where he defeated future Grade 1 winning sprinter Vekoma.[4] His jockey John Velazquez called it an impressive win.[5]
He then came in third in the Grade 1 Florida Derby on March 30 and second in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby on May 4. He crossed the finish line third but was placed second after the disqualification of the winner, Maximum Security.[6]
His trainer Claude McGaughey had planned for Code of Honor to take a break if he did not win the Kentucky Derby, and he returned after the time off to win three graded stakes. First was the Grade 3 Dwyer Stakes on July 6.[7]
Code of Honor then won the two biggest races of his career, the first being the Grade 1 Travers Stakes on August 24.[8] He won a stretch duel over three-time Grade 2 winner Tacitus and future Grade 1 winner Mucho Gusto at 4:1 odds.
On September 28, he won the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup over older horses after original winner Vino Rosso was disqualified.[9] After his two Grade 1 wins, Code of Honor became one of the leading three-year-olds.
His last race of his three-year-old season was the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Classic on November 2. Code of Honor came seventh at 4:1 odds behind the winner, Vino Rosso.
2020: Four-year-old season
editCode of Honor won his first start as a four-year-old in the Grade 2 Westchester Stakes on June 6.[10]
He then placed in four graded stakes races, starting with the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap on July 4 where he started with odds of 5:2 and finished third behind the winner Vekoma.[1] He followed up with a fourth place finish in the Grade 1 Whitney Stakes behind the four time Grade 1 winner Improbable.
He finished his four-year-old season with second place finishes in both the Grade 2 Kelso Handicap on September 3 and Grade 1 Clark Stakes on October 27.
2021: Five-year-old season
editCode of Honor started his five-year-old season with a fifth place finish in the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup on 2 January 2021, which was won by three time Grade 1 winner Knicks Go who had previously won the Breeders' Cup Mile.
Code of Honor had a break and is possible to make a comeback on August 4 in the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup or August 21 in the Grade 3 Philip H. Iselin Stakes.
Death-- Code of Honor was euthanized in December 2022 after an inoperable bout of colic. (Bloodhorse)
Pedigree
edit| Sire Noble Mission (GB) b. 2009 |
Galileo (IRE) b. 1998 |
Sadler's Wells | Northern Dancer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fairy Bridge | |||
| Urban Sea | Miswaki | ||
| Allegretta | |||
| Kind (IRE) b. 2001 |
Danehill | Danzig | |
| Razyana | |||
| Rainbow Lake | Rainbow Quest | ||
| Rockfest | |||
| Dam Reunited (USA) b. 2002 |
Dixie Union (USA) b. 1997 |
Dixieland Band | Northern Dancer |
| Mississippi Mud | |||
| She's Tops | Capote | ||
| She's a Talent | |||
| Tivli (USA) b. 1988 |
Mt. Livermore | Blushing Groom | |
| Flama Ardiente | |||
| Bold Boston | Bold Forbes | ||
| Faneuil Hall |
References
edit- ^ a b "Code of Honor". Retrieved 9 January 2020.
- ^ "Dual Grade 1 Winner Code of Honor Dies at 6". Blood-Horse. December 26, 2022. Retrieved December 27, 2022.
- ^ "2018 Champagne and Hill Prince Stakes Results". Retrieved 9 January 2020.
- ^ "Code of Honor Wins Xpressbet Fountain of Youth Stakes". Retrieved 9 January 2020.
- ^ "Code of Honor rallies to win Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream Park". Retrieved 9 January 2020.
- ^ "2019 Kentucky Derby results: Country House emerges as winner after Maximum Security's disqualification". Retrieved 9 January 2020.
- ^ "Weekend Wrap: Code of Honor shines in Dwyer at Stars & Stripes Racing Festival". Retrieved 9 January 2020.
- ^ "Code of Honor wins Travers Stakes". Retrieved 9 January 2020.
- ^ "Code of Honor placed first in Jockey Club Gold Cup on DQ of Vino Rosso". Retrieved 9 January 2020.
- ^ "Code of Honor Back in Style in the Westchester". Retrieved 9 January 2020.
- ^ "Code of Honor". Retrieved 9 January 2020.