Honor Code is the type of horse that should be sponsored by a pharmaceutical company. Watch him at the beginning of the race, and you'll feel depressed as he falls behind and behind and behind, until he seems hopelessly beaten.
Then in the stretch, your blood pressure will soar as he rockets toward the leader with amazing quickness.
On Saturday afternoon at Saratoga Race Course, trainer Shug McGaughey endured yet another emotional roller coaster ride with Honor Code in the $1.25 million Whitney Stakes. Trailing by nearly 20 lengths after the opening half-mile, Honor Code surged into contention on the turn and then took aim at Liam's Map, who enjoyed a 4 ½-length lead with a furlong to go.
"When he got to the eighth pole, he switched leads, on the right lead in the right place at the right time. He ran unbelievable, like he always does," jockey Javier Castellano said.
Gobbling up ground on the tiring pacesetter with each stride, Honor Code drew alongside Liam's Map as the finish line approached.
"At first I thought we were second, beaten a half-length or a neck," McGaughey said. "[Liam's Map] ran a fantastic race."
As it turned out McGaughey's view was off a bit, though the Hall of Fame trainer was not about to complain when the toteboard flashed Honor Code as the winner by a neck for yet another dramatic victory.
"My heart's OK," a relieved McGaughey said with a laugh as he stood in the winner's circle.
As emotional testing as Honor Code's races can be, they have surely been worthwhile for McGaughey and owners Lane's End Racing and Dell Ridge Farm. In his previous start, Honor Code roared back from 14 lengths off the pace to win the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap at a mile. He also won the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Handicap in March after trailing by as much as 15 lengths.
Even in his career debut, on a sloppy track at the Spa last August, the son of A.P. Indy trailed by as many as 22 lengths before cruising to a 4 ½-length win in a seven-furlong maiden race.
"He's been an amazing horse from the start," McGaughey said. "People always held him in high regard, but wondered if he could run around two turns. He's got some quirks in him; could he overcome them? I guess he answered all that today."
By winning the two-turn, mile and an eighth Whitney, Honor Code dispelled any doubts about his abilities at longer distances while also stamping himself as the leader of the older male division, which comes with an asterisk during a year with a Triple Crown champion still in training.
The Whitney field was nothing short of stellar with seven Grade 1 winners included among the nine starters, including 2014 Belmont Stakes winner Tonalist, who was third, 2014 Travers winner V.E. Day, who was fifth, and Grade 1 Stephen Foster winner Noble Bird, who was last.
"They keep telling me these are deep field and he keeps beating them," McGaughey said. While there was a wild swing of emotions for McGaughey en route to his third Whitney win and first since back-to-back victories in the race in 1989 with Easy Goer and 1988 with the undefeated Personal Ensign, the final yards produced nothing but heartbreak for the connections of Liam's Map.
Entered in a tough spot for his stakes debut, the 4-year-old set demanding fractions of 22.79, 46 seconds, 1:09.72 and 1:34:66 in the opening mile while building a seemingly comfortable lead at the eighth pole. Unfortunately the finish line pop up one stride too late for Liam's Map and jockey Mike Smith.
"He ran unbelievably well, setting those fractions to start and being there at the end," trainer Todd Pletcher said. "He just couldn't hold off a really good horse."
McGaughey said the next spot for the Honor Code drama show will most likely come on Oct. 3 at Belmont Park in either the Grade 2 Kelso at a one-turn mile or the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup at a mile and a quarter.
McGaughey included the Kelso because he thought a mile and a quarter prep could be tough on the horse. After all, he said the ultimate goal for Honor Code is the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic at a mile and a quarter on Oct. 31, where, if the racing industry gets the race it fantasizes about, he could be chasing down Triple Crown champion American Pharoah in that final furlong.
Sounds like the pharmaceuticals should be kept handy.