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Code Of Honor, Mr Freeze Top Early Probables For Clark

The marquee race of the 2020 Fall Meet is the Grade I, $500,000 Clark presented by Norton Healthcare on Friday, Nov. 27. Nominations for the 1 1/8-mile race are due Saturday but several horses are ramping up their preparation for the race including two-time Grade I winner Code of Honor and multiple graded stakes winners Mr Freeze and Owendale.

The Clark is one of six graded stakes events that are staged on closing week of the Fall Meet at Churchill Downs:

· Thursday, Nov. 26:

o $200,000 Falls City (GII) for fillies and mares 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/8 miles

o $100,000 Cardinal (GIII) for fillies and mares 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/8 miles on turf

· Friday, Nov. 27:

o $500,000 Clark presented by Norton Healthcare for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/8 miles

o $100,000 River City (GIII) for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/8 miles on turf

· Saturday, Nov. 28:

o $200,000 Kentucky Jockey Club (GII) for 2-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles

o $200,000 Golden Rod (GII) for 2-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles

“This year the Clark is only three weeks removed from the Breeders' Cup because of the way the calendar fell but Mr Freeze just looks phenomenal after the Dirt Mile,” trainer Dale Romans said.

Mr Freeze finished sixth in the $1 million Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (GI) and was defeated 5 ¾ lengths by front-running Knicks Go. Finishing just ahead of Mr Freeze in the race was the six-time winner Owendale. The Into Mischief colt was the runner-up in last year's edition of the Clark behind Tom's d'Etat.

One of the other early top contenders for the Clark is Bill Farish's two-time Grade I winner Code of Honor. Based at Belmont Park with trainer Shug McGaughey, Code of Honor most recently finished second behind Complexity in the one-mile $150,000 Kelso (GII). Code of Honor was a top 3-year-old in 2019 after recording victories in the $1.25 million Travers (GI), $750,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup (GI) and $250,000 Dwyer (GIII). The homebred son of Noble Mission finished second in the $3 million Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (GI) behind Country House.

Nominations to all six races close Saturday and will be released early next week. To nominate, visit www.churchilldowns.com/horsemen or call (502) 636-3806.

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What’s Next For Mr. Buff? Kimmel Eyes Robb For NY-Breds Or Another Try In Grade 1 Clark

Chester and Mary Broman's Mr. Buff earned a 94 Beyer for his impressive frontrunning Empire Classic score on Saturday's Empire Showcase Day card at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

Trainer John Kimmel said the 6-year-old Friend Or Foe chestnut looked to be in control throughout the nine-furlong test for state-bred 3-year-olds and upward.

“I watched the replay two or three times and he looked pretty confident and comfortable the whole race,” said Kimmel. “There weren't that many contentious moments. He handled that group pretty easily.

“Once he switched to the outside lead that was it. That was the key for me,” added Kimmel. “Sometimes he hangs onto the left lead and changes late but when he switches to the outside lead he's pretty impressive.”

Mr. Buff, who boasts a record of 40-15-7-4 with purse earnings in excess of $1.2 million, enjoyed a profitable winter at Aqueduct winning the Alex M. Robb against state-breds in December and the open Jazil in January before romping to a 20-length score over state-breds in the Haynesfield at one mile on the Big A main.

Kimmel said a return engagement in the nine-furlong $100,000 Alex M. Robb for New York-breds 3-years old and up is likely, although the nine-furlong Grade 1 Clark on November 27 at Churchill Downs is also under consideration.

“He's doing fine this morning. He's back in his stall doing his regular thing. That race [the Alex M. Robb] is probably high on the priority list,” said Kimmel. “We're a little gun shy about venturing out of town but we'll keep him eligible for the Clark. The Clark is a good spot for him on Thanksgiving weekend.”

Mr. Buff has finished off the board in all five of his graded attempts, including a 10th in last year's Clark.

“When he runs his 'A' race he can run with anybody, but he just hasn't done it in the major graded races,” said Kimmel, who won the Clark in 2006 with Premium Tap.

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Performer Returns With Sharp Win; McGaughey Says Cigar Mile Could Be Next

Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey said he was delighted to see a triumphant return to racing action for Phipps Stable and Claiborne Farm's Performer, who emerged off an 11-month layoff to an effortless allowance victory going one mile over the Belmont Park main track.

The 4-year-old son of Speightstown, who was a last out winner of the Grade 3 Discovery on Nov. 30, 2019, saved ground along the rail and was nudged by jockey Joel Rosario around the three-eighths pole and strolled home to an in-hand 1 3/4-length triumph. He earned a 98 Beyer Speed Figure in victory.

“I know it was a light field, but I was pleased with the way he went over there and did it,” McGaughey said. “He was very professional with everything he did. I didn't know what the speed was going to do. I thought the horse to the inside of us [three-time winner Empty Tomb] was going to show more speed. Joel was just patient; he knew what he had and just took it from there.”

McGaughey said he is giving strong consideration to the Grade 1, $250,000 Cigar Mile on December 5 at Aqueduct.

“It would be a big option,” said McGaughey, who won the 1996 Cigar Mile with Gold Fever.

There is a chance that McGaughey could saddle two top-level contenders for the final Grade 1 event of the year on the NYRA racing calendar as W.S. Farish's Code of Honor also is possible for the race. McGaughey said Code of Honor would be more likely for the nine-furlong two-turn G1, $500,000 Clark on Nov. 27 at Churchill Downs.

“Either the Clark [for Code of Honor], or I would run the two in the Cigar Mile,” McGaughey said. “I'd be more inclined to run Code of Honor around two turns. He ran well over that track.”

A two-time G1 winner when taking last year's Travers at Saratoga and Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont, Code of Honor was elevated to second in last year's G1 Kentucky Derby following the disqualification of Maximum Security, who won last year's Cigar Mile.

A direct descendant of undefeated Hall of Famer Personal Ensign and four-time G1-winning millionaire My Flag, who also were trained by McGaughey, Performer is the third progeny out of graded stakes-placed Protesting who also produced turf stakes winner Breaking the Rules. His grandam On Parade was a full-sister to 2002 Champion 2-Year-Old Filly Storm Flag Flying.

“They both have distance of ground,” McGaughey said of Performer and Breaking the Rules. “She [Protesting] wanted to run long. She was fourth in three Grade 1 stakes and was second in the Demoiselle at Aqueduct. They're both nice horses, but run on different surfaces. Not that Performer couldn't run on turf, being by Speightstown.”

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McGaughey: Cigar Mile Or Clark Likely Next Start For Code Of Honor

Trainer Shug McGaughey said W.S. Farish homebred Code of Honor, a last-out second to Complexity in the Grade 2 Kelso on Oct. 3, will point to either the Grade 1, $250,000 Cigar Mile for 3-year-olds and up on December 5 at Aqueduct Racetrack or the Grade 1, $500,000 Clark, a nine-furlong test for 3-year-olds and up on November 27 at Churchill Downs. Code of Honor won't make a second try to win the Grade 1, $6-million Breeders' Cup Classic, a race in which he finished seventh behind Vino Rosso at Santa Anita in 2019.

“He's doing good. We'll point him to the Clark in Louisville or the Cigar Mile here,” said McGaughey.

Last year, the Noble Mission chestnut captured the Grade 1 Travers at Saratoga en route to being elevated to victory in the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont in a four-win sophomore season that also included a score in the Grade 3 Dwyer on Big Sandy.

Code of Honor owns a record of 4-1-1-1 in 2020 which includes a win in the Grade 3 Westchester on a muddy Belmont track in June.

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