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Homebred Code of Honor Arrives at Lane’s End Farm

Code of Honor (Noble Mission {GB} – Reunited, by Dixie Union) arrived at Lane's End Farm, where he will stand the 2022 season, early in the morning hours of Tuesday, Dec. 7. The multiple Grade I winner was bred and raced by W.S. Farish and earned nearly $3 million over his four-year career.

“It's a really fun day for all of us at Lane's End,” Bill Farish said after watching the homebred take in his new surroundings at the Lane's End stud barn. “Code of Honor coming home is something we've been waiting on for a long time, so it's very exciting to get him here and we're really looking forward to starting his breeding career.”

Bought back by Lane's End at the 2017 Keeneland September Sale, Code of Honor was soon sent to trainer Shug McGaughey. The chestnut broke his maiden on debut as a juvenile at Saratoga and ran second in the GI Champagne S. after stumbling at the start.

As a sophomore, the colt won the GII Fountain of Youth S. before finishing third in the GI Florida Derby and second in the GI Kentucky Derby. He then rolled off consecutive victories in the GIII Dwyer S., GI Runhappy Travers S. and GI Jockey Club Gold Cup S.

The Travers win, Farish said, marked an unforgettable day for the Farish family.

“It was a real high point for us,” he explained. “It's hard to put into words. It's something that Dad has been trying to do for a long time and we have been second twice, so it was a big, big day for us. It's really what it is all about for us. It's very rewarding to go to the sales and pick out a Grade I winner, but to breed one is a whole other thing.”

As an older horse, Code of Honor captured graded victories in the GIII Westchester S. at four and the GIII Philip H. Iselin S. at five. He also hit the board in the GI Runhappy Metropolitan H., GII Kelso H., GI Clark S. and GII Hagyard Fayette S.

The six-time graded stakes winner is from the first crop of Noble Mission and is out of the W.S Farish-bred and owned Reunited, winner of the 2005 GIII Thoroughbred Club of America S. Farish said he is confident that the versatility in Code of Honor's pedigree will be reflected in the individuals he will soon produce.

“I wouldn't be surprised at all if he was able to get both dirt and turf horses with his pedigree,” he noted. “He has a lot of speed on the bottom side and he has stamina on the top. He's a really well-made horse with a tremendously-efficient stride and he's a real throwback-type horse.”

Code of Honor will stand for a fee of $10,000 in 2022.

“We're going to be supporting him very heavily,” Farish said. “We're going to put everything we can into getting him a really good first crop and we've priced him to where we think he's unbelievably attractive for a horse with his credentials. We just can't wait to get going.

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Vergara Repels Challenge From She’s A Mia To Win Tepin At Aqueduct

Gary Broad's Vergara made a strong move from the outside at the top of the stretch to overtake Tasweya and Solib before out-dueling She's a Mia in the final sixteenth to post a win by three-quarters of a length in Sunday's $100,000 Tepin for 2-year-old fillies competing at 1 1/16 miles on the inner turf course at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y.

Vergara, who graduated with a 1 1/4-length win at second asking last out in October at Laurel Park in Laurel, Md., shipped to an out-of-state track for the first time and displayed the ability to both travel and handle stakes company.

Departing from post 3 under Luis Saez, the Noble Mission filly tracked in third position as Tasweya led a 10-horse field through the opening quarter-mile in :23.73 and the half in :50.10 over firm going in the fourth running of the Tepin.

In the final furlong, Vergara responded to Saez's left-handed encouragement by surging past Tasweya from the outside while She's a Mia, at 25-1, gamely fought on from the rail under rider Jalon Samuel. In the final sixteenth, Vergara drew away to complete the course in a 1:44.50 final time.

“She broke pretty badly but after the second jump she was right there,” Saez said. “She was running a little green at the three-eighths and she came in behind heels, but when she came into the stretch, she started running.

“We were looking to cover up and relax. She was a little green,” Saez added. “She came in behind horses and I don't want to be at the top of the stretch trying to come out. That's why I did that before the stretch and she responded really well.”

Off at 6-1, Vergara paid $14.60 on a $2 win wager. Purchased for $130,000 at the 2020 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, Vergara improved her career earnings to $87,200.

Trainer Graham Motion breezed Vergara at the Maryland-based Fair Hill facility and kept her local for her first two starts, which saw her run third in a 5 1/2-furlong sprint at Laurel on September 30 before her win last month at the same track when stretched out to 1 1/8 miles. She handled going two turns again, showing a strong turn-of-foot.

“She ran better,” Saez said. “She had good speed to break and be right there. It was a great race. Graham said to ride her however you want. I stayed with the pony [during the post parade] because going long, I don't want to be too rank.”

She's a Mia, who won her turf debut in her second overall career start last out going six furlongs on October 16 at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., for trainer Cleveland Johnson, again teamed with Samuel and earned a placing, edging Mischievous Kiss by a neck for runner-up status.

“She had a very nice trip. It's the first time she's ever gone the distance and the winner had gone a mile and an eighth already,” Samuel said. “I was trying to track them, but the winner got an edge on me at the distance.”

The favorite Caironi, Anador, Solib, Determined Star, Louella Street, Tasweya,photos and Kingdom Queen completed the order of finish. Main-track only entrant Waters of Merom scratched.

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Live racing resumes Thursday at the Big A with a nine-race card. First post is 12:20 p.m. Eastern.

America's Day at the Races will present daily coverage and analysis of the fall meet at Aqueduct Racetrack on the networks of FOX Sports. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/tv-schedule.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Aqueduct Racetrack, and the best way to bet every race of the fall meet. Available to horseplayers nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.

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Code Of Honor Headlines Keeneland’s Closing Day Fayette

Two-time Grade 1 winner Code of Honor tops a field of nine 3-year-olds and older runners entered Wednesday for the 64th running of the $200,000 Hagyard Fayette (G2) on Saturday, the final day of the 17-day Fall Meet at Keeneland. The Hagyard Fayette is the featured event of the 10-race card, which includes the $150,000 Bryan Station and $150,000 Bowman Mill.

The Hagyard Fayette, scheduled for 1 1/8 miles over the main track, will go as the ninth race with a 5:16 p.m. ET post time. First post is 1 p.m.

The stakes will mark the final start of Code of Honor's career. Owned and bred by W.S. Farish, Code of Honor at 3 won the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) via disqualification and captured the Travers (G1). Winner of a total of six graded stakes in his career, he was second in the 2019 Kentucky Derby (G1).

Trained by Shug McGaughey, the 5-year-old by Noble Mission (GB) comes into the Hagyard Fayette off a fourth-place finish in the Woodward (G1) at Belmont on Oct. 2. Code of Honor worked Monday at Keeneland, covering 4 furlongs in :49.60 over a fast track.

Tyler Gaffalione, the Fall Meet's leading rider, will have the mount Saturday on Code of Honor and break from post seven.

Also figuring to attract attention in the race are Night Ops, Sleepy Eyes Todd and the 3-year-old King Fury.

Steve Landers Racing's Night Ops, second in the Ben Ali (G3) here this spring, has posted a 7-0-4-2 mark in 2021 and exits a fourth-place finish in the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) on Sept. 4 in his most recent start. Trained by Brad Cox, Night Ops will be ridden by Florent Geroux and break from post four.

Thumbs Up Racing's Sleepy Eyes Todd, who went from last in a 12-horse field to win the Lafayette here last fall on the Breeders' Cup undercard, was second to Art Collector in the Charles Town Classic (G2) in his most recent start.

An earner of more than $2 million, Sleepy Eyes Todd finished fifth in the $20 million Saudi Cup (G1) and 10th in the $12 million Dubai World Cup (G1) before returning to the U.S. in April. Trained by Miguel Silva, Sleepy Eyes Todd will break from post position one and be ridden by Ry Eikleberry.

Fern Creek Stables and Three Chimneys Farm's King Fury enters Saturday's race off a 13-length victory in the Bourbon Trail on Sept. 25 at Churchill Downs. Trained by Kenny McPeek, King Fury won the Lexington (G3) here this spring. King Fury will break from post six and be ridden by Brian Hernandez Jr.

A total of 10 3-year-olds have won the Hagyard Fayette with the most recent being Blame in 2009.

The field for the Hagyard Fayette, with riders and weights from the inside, is: Sleepy Eyes Todd (Ry Eikleberry, 121 pounds), Manhattan Up (Chris Landeros, 121), Militarist (Martin Garcia, 121), Night Ops (Florent Geroux, 121), Independence Hall (Javier Castellano, 121), King Fury (Brian Hernandez Jr., 120), Code of Honor (Tyler Gaffalione, 121), Fort Peck (David Cohen, 121), Major Fed (Ricardo Santana Jr., 121).

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Code of Honor to Stand at Lane’s End

W.S. Farish-owned and bred multiple Grade I winner Code of Honor (Noble Mission {GB}–Reunited, by Dixie Union) will stand the 2022 season at Lane's End Farm. Earning almost $3 million in a career that included graded stakes performances each year from two to five, the colt is a six-time graded stakes winner and has a chance to add a seventh score at that level in Saturday's GII Hagyard Fayette S. at Keeneland.

Code of Honor graduated on debut before running second despite stumbling badly at the start in the GI Champagne S. Early in his 3-year-old season, he won the GII Fountain of Youth S., finished third in the GI Florida Derby and was runner-up in the GI Kentucky Derby. He followed that with scores in the GIII Dwyer S., GI Travers S. and GI Jockey Club Gold Cup against elders.

“Code of Honor impressed me from day one,” said trainer Shug McGaughey. “He is the type of horse every trainer dreams of; he is sound, balanced, and an efficient mover and takes to his training very well. What I saw him do as a 2-year-old when breaking his maiden at Saratoga gave me the confidence to go straight to a Grade I. 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.”

In his past two seasons, Code of Honor picked up graded stakes wins in the GIII Westchester S. and GIII Philip H. Iselin S. while also hitting the board in the GI Metropoilitan H., GII Kelso H. and GI Clark S.

“Code of Honor is a special horse on many different levels for us, and we're excited that he is returning home to the farm where he was born,” said Bill Farish of Lane's End. “He is what we like to see in a prospective stallion being a consistent performer at the highest level. He was a precocious 2-year-old that developed into a classic horse winning at the elite level. He has the proven race record, desired physical attributes and deep pedigree to make him the complete stallion package.”

Code of Honor is by European Champion Noble Mission and out of a W.S. Farish homebred who captured the GIII Thoroughbred Club of America S. and has produced eight winners from eight foals to race.

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