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Churchill Downs: Overflow Field For Clark To Match Code Of Honor, By My Standards, Mr Freeze, Owendale

W.S. Farish's multiple Grade 1 winner Code of Honor will take on 13 rivals including graded stakes winners By My Standards, Mr Freeze and Owendale in Friday's 146^th renewal of the $500,000 Clark presented by Norton Healthcare (G1) – the marquee race of the Fall Meet at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky.

The 1 1/8-mile Clark will go as Race 10 of 11 with a post time of 5:27 p.m. (all times Eastern). First post is 1 p.m.

Code of Honor, a 4-year-old son of Noble Mission (GB), achieved Grade 1 glory in last year's $1.25 million Travers and $750,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1). Trainer Shug McGaughey III had his sights set on a strong 2020 campaign but when the COVID-19 pandemic struck, he was forced to alter the colt's plans.

“He's just been a victim of circumstances with the COVID situation,” McGaughey said. “I would've liked him to run him in the Westchester which would've been the start of the Belmont Meet in the spring. I would've spaced the races out that way. That didn't' work out so we couldn't run until June 6 in the Westchester. He won that and I really had in my mind I wasn't going to run him back until the Whitney. He's run a lot better with his races spaced.”

Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez will ride Code of Honor from post position No. 3.

“Johnny told me after the Met that this horse definitely wants two turns,” McGaughey said. “His race in the Kelso against Complexity, who was the favorite in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile, was a really good race. We had to change riders on him that day. Javier (Castellano) is obviously a great rider but may not have known him as well as Johnny did. All in all, it was sort of just a messed up year. Now he's gotten his space and he's run good over this Churchill track.”

Code of Honor was one of the top 3-year-old prospects in 2019 following his victory in the $400,000 Florida Derby (G1) at Gulfstream Park. He placed second in the $3 million Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) prior to his Travers and Jockey Club Gold Cup victories.

Among the other top older horses that entered the race is Allied Racing Stable's $400,000 Alysheba (G2) winner By My Standards. Trained by Bret Calhoun and ridden by Gabriel Saez, By My Standards finished eighth in this year's Breeders' Cup Classic (G1), his only off the board finish through seven starts in 2020.

“He loves this track at Churchill Downs so I think he'll do a lot better getting back here,” Saez said. “We didn't get the best of trips in the Breeders' Cup and he didn't like the surface that day. He worked really well (on Friday). He just has such a big stride and covers a lot of ground.”

By My Standards sports a stout overall record of 13-6-4-1 with earnings of $1,824,430. He drew post 12 for Friday's Clark.

Also entered is Rupp Racing's three-time Grade 3 winner Owendale. Trained by Brad Cox, Owendale finished second behind By My Standards in the Alysheba. The 4-year-old son of Into Mischief began his 2020 campaign with a victory at Churchill Downs in the $100,000 Blame Stakes. Owendale enters the Clark following a fifth-place effort in the $1 million Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) at Keeneland.

“In the Alysheba there was no pace,” Cox said. “He doesn't really like kickback so we have to make sure he gets out in the clear. I think his efforts this year have put him in contention with some of the older horses in this handicap division.”

Owendale was the runner-up finisher behind Tom's d'Etat in last year's Clark. Florent Geroux has the call on Owendale from post 9.

Another top older horse that entered the Clark is Jim Bakke and Gerald Isbister's four-time graded stakes winner Mr Freeze. Trained by Dale Romans, Mr Freeze scored a narrow victory in last month's $200,000 Fayette (G2) at Keeneland. The six-time winner finished third in last year's Clark under jockey Robby Albarado. Following that race he finished second in the $3 million Pegasus World Cup (G1), beaten 4 ½ lengths by Mucho Gusto.

Jockey David Cohen will ride Mr Freeze in the Clark from post 7.

Finishing just a neck behind Mr Freeze in the Fayette was Stonestreet Stables, George Bolton and Peter Leidel's Aurelius Maximus. The 4-year-old colt was transferred from trainer Chad Brown to Steve Asmussen at the end of 2019 and immediately found success reeling off consecutive allowance victories.

Aurelius Maximus is one of two horses entered in the Clark for Asmussen. The other is Ed and Susie Orr's four-time winner Silver Prospector. The 3-year-old son of Declaration of War rallied to win a 1 1/8-mile allowance event on Oct. 30 at Churchill Downs. Earlier in his career, the gray colt was on the Kentucky Derby trail with victories in the $200,000 Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) and $750,000 Southwest Stakes (G3).

Ricardo Santana Jr. has the call on Aurelius Maximus from post 5 while Gerardo Corrales picks up the call on Silver Prospector from post 14.

Invading from South Florida for the Clark is Top Racing, Global Thoroughbred and GDS Stable's multiple graded stakes placed Bodexpress. The 14^th place finisher in the 2019 Kentucky Derby arrived at Churchill Downs on Friday with trainer Gustavo Delgado's son Gustavo Jr. The 4-year-old son of Bodemeister enters the Clark following a dominating 11 ¼-length allowance score at Gulfstream Park West in mid-October.

Rafael Bejarano has the mount on Bodexpress and will break from post 8.

Rounding out the Clark field is Bourbon Lane Stable's stakes winner Bourbon Calling; Albaugh Family Stable and Helen K Groves Revocable Trust's improving 4-year-old colt Coastal Defense; Lucky Seven Stable's five-time winner Crafty Daddy; Wachtel Stable, George Kerr, and Gary Barber's Grade 3 winner Multiplier; Susan and Jim Hill's recent allowance winner Phantom Currency; Imperial Racing's $2.5 million UAE Derby (G2) winner Plus Que Parfait; and Charles Fipke's Fayette third-place finisher Title Ready.Bonne Chance Farm and Stud R D I's recent turf allowance winner In Love (BRZ) is on the also-eligible list with the lowest earnings in the field.

In total, the Clark field has accumulated 58 wins with earnings of more than $12.4 million.

The complete field from the rail out (with jockey and trainer): Crafty Daddy (Brian Hernandez Jr., Kenny McPeek); Title Ready (Corey Lanerie, Dallas Stewart); Code of Honor (Velazquez, McGaughey); Multiplier (Tyler Gaffalione, Peter Miller); Aurelius Maximus (Santana, Asmussen); Plus Que Parfait (Robby Albarado, Brendan Walsh); Mr Freeze (Cohen, Romans); Bodexpress (Bejarano, Delgado); Owendale (Geroux, Cox); Bourbon Calling (Julien Leparoux, Ian Wilkes); Coastal Defense (Joe Talamo, Romans); By My Standards (Saez, Calhoun); Phantom Currency (Declan Cannon, Brian Lynch); and Silver Prospector (Corrales, Asmussen). Also-Eligible: In Love (Albarado, Paulo Lobo).

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War Front’s Half Brother North Dakota Makes Last Run To Capture Red Smith

Allen Stable's North Dakota utilized a patient trip and surged under jockey Jose Lezcano to overtake Red Knight in deep stretch to post a half-length victory in Saturday's Grade 3, $100,000 Red Smith Stakes, a 1 3/8-mile turf route for 3-year-olds and up at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y.

Fresh off earning a personal-best 97 Beyer Speed Figure when fourth to Red Knight in his stakes debut in the Grade 3 Sycamore on October 15 at Keeneland, North Dakota sat chilly in sixth position as 151-1 longshot Real Factor led the 11-horse field through the opening quarter-mile in 24.67 seconds before opening up a 10-length lead with the half in 48.79, three-quarters in 1:13.68 and a mile in 1:38.49 on the firm inner turf course.

Red Knight, under jockey Jose Ortiz, made up ground and overtook the tiring pacesetter out of the final turn. North Dakota maintained the pressure with a strong outside bid before gaining the advantage in the final sixteenth and hitting the wire in 2:16.47 for his first stakes victory.

“I watched the replay and last time, I think he had a little bit of trouble,” Lezcano said. “I tried to give him a clean trip the whole way and not lose any momentum. He progressed. Every pole was progress. As soon as he got to the three-eighths pole, he switched gears. I hit him a couple times and he really took off and went on with it and won the race. I think he's a very nice horse. He's kind of one paced, but the longer he can go, the better for him.”

North Dakota, a half brother to graded stakes-winner and prominent sire War Front, didn't break his maiden until his seventh career race, with the late-blooming 4-year-old son of Medaglia d'Oro finally earning a winner's circle trip in March at Tampa Bay Downs. Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey said he's been pleasantly surprised by his progress.

“He's come a long way. I wouldn't have thought he would be running in the Red Smith back when he broke his maiden at Tampa [on March 25],” McGaughey said. “He's been up here from Fair Hill. He had been training really well. I thought he had a big chance today. He's got the pedigree to do it and wants a distance of ground. Jose is a patient guy and I said just take your time with him and that's what he did and it worked out for him.”

Off at 8-1, North Dakota returned $19.40 on a $2 win bet. The Kentucky homebred improved his career earnings to $157,325.

Red Knight, the winner of last month's Sycamore for fellow Hall of Fame conditioner Bill Mott, earned a placing for the third consecutive graded stakes start, edging Ziyad by a head for second. Red Knight, the runner-up in the Grade 3 Kentucky Turf Cup in September at Kentucky Downs, moved to 8-7-1 in 22 career starts.

“My horse just fell out of the gate and found his own place,” Ortiz said. “I thought I was in a good position early on but when we went to the backside, everyone started worrying about the horse up front being too far in front and we had to start moving. I started moving and tried to get into position without using him much. I think I had a good trip. I passed the winner going to the half mile pole to the three-eighths pole. I passed him but then he came outside me to win the race. Good trip, no complaints. We were just second-best.”

Sadler's Joy, the 9-5 favorite and defending Red Smith winner, finished fourth. Doctor Mounty, Aquaphobia, Postulation, Real Factor, Tintoretto, Fame to Famous and Changi completed the order of finish.

Live racing resumes Sunday at the Big A with a 10-race card featuring a pair of New York Stallion Stakes Series contests, starting with the $100,000 Thunder Rumble for 3-year-olds and up in Race 3 and the $100,000 Staten Island for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up in Race 9. First post is 11:50 a.m.

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McGaughey Hoping Code Of Honor Back On Schedule For Big Effort In Clark

W.S. Farish's two-time Grade 1 winner Code of Honor had to alter his schedule multiple times in 2020 but his Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey III hopes Friday's Grade 1, $500,000 Clark at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., gets the colt back to the winner's circle.

“He's just been a victim of circumstances with the COVID situation,” McGaughey said. “I would've liked him to run him in the Westchester (G3) which would've been the start of the Belmont Meet in the spring. I would've spaced the races out that way. That didn't' work out so we couldn't run until June 6 in the Westchester. He won that and I really had in my mind I wasn't going to run him back until the Whitney. He's run a lot better with his races spaced.”

Following Code of Honor's half-length victory in the $100,000 Westchester, McGaughey decided to run the colt one month later in the $500,000 Metropolitan Handicap (G1).

“He ran in the Derby and then didn't run again until Fourth of July weekend and then didn't run again until the Travers during the last part of Saratoga. The Metropolitan Mile is a prestigious race so we decided to run in that race. He was doing really good and he ran a really good race that day. I think if we may have missed that we could've made a better showing in the Whitney.”

Code of Honor finished fourth in the aforementioned Grade 1 Whitney behind the wire-to-wire winner Improbable. The 4-year-old Noble Mission (GB) colt will enter Friday's Clark off a runner-up effort behind Complexity in the $150,000 Kelso (G2).

Friday's Clark is the marquee race of the Churchill Downs Fall Meet. Entries for the 1 1/8-mile event will be taken Sunday. The field is also expected to include graded stakes winners By My Standards, Mr Freeze and Owendale.

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‘She’s Gotten Better And Better’: Civil Union Preps For Filly & Mare Turf

Allen Stable's homebred Civil Union worked a half-mile in 51 seconds flat in company with older allowance horse Sentry on the inner turf Sunday at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., in preparation for Saturday's Grade 1, $2-million Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky.

“The company carried her along,” said Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey. “She worked good. She's gotten better and better and stronger and stronger.”

The 5-year-old War Front mare extended her streak to four wins with a head score last out in the Grade 1, $250,000 Flower Bowl Invitational. The turf specialist arrived at the 10-furlong Widener turf test on a winning run-of-form that launched in a June 21 allowance tilt at Belmont and continued through scores in the 12-furlong River Memories on July 12 at Belmont and the 11-furlong Grade 2 Glens Falls at Saratoga.

Racing from sixth position early under Joel Rosario in the Flower Bowl, Civil Union advanced gamely to notch a narrow head score over Filly and Mare Turf-rivals My Sister Nat and Nay Lady Nay.

McGaughey said Civil Union, who ran second in a turf allowance in October 2018, in her lone Keeneland start, has the ability to be tactical if needed.

“In the Flower Bowl she was back a little further than usual,” said McGaughey. “If she gets a decent post and breaks good and depending what some of the others do, I know Joel will have her where he wants her to be. She's pretty versatile. She can settle in behind or if she needs to be up close she can be up close.”

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