Code of Honor surges to victory in Fountain of Youth, nails No. 2 spot on Kentucky Derby points standings. Gulfstream Park photo
March 4 (UPI) -- Code of Honor advanced his Kentucky Derby cause with a win in the weekend's marquee event, the Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream Park, while 2018 Juvenile Filly champ Jaywalk came up short in her seasonal debut.
Code of Honor ran his way to the No. 2 spot on the Derby points chart with a pace-stalking, 3/4-length upset victory in Saturday's $400,000 Grade II Fountain of Youth at. Making his fourth career start, the son of Noble Mission raced behind pacesetting favorite Hidden Scroll, moved up as that one tired early in the stretch run and had the best punch of the late runners.
Bourbon War was gaining late on the outside of rivals to finish second, 2 lengths to the good of Vekoma. Code of Honor, with John Velazquez up, ran 1 1/16 miles on a fast track in 1:43.85.
It was only the second career victory for Code of Honor, who won at first asking at Saratoga last summer, then finished second in the Grade I Champagne at Belmont Park. He started his 2019 campaign with a fading fourth-place finish in the Mucho Macho Man at Gulfstream Park in January.
"After the Mucho Macho Man, I said, 'Listen, we're going to train him. If he takes it, he takes it.' And he took it," said Shug McGaughey, who trains for owner-breeder William Farish. "He was doing good with what we were putting into him, so we kept doing it and we felt like he was going to come down here and run well."
McGaughey said he would prefer to keep Code of Honor in South Florida for the Florida Derby, but the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct and the Blue Grass at Keeneland are options.
On Friday at Santa Anita, another of trainer Bob Baffert's seemingly endless supply of good 3-year-olds got back on the Triple Crown track. Roadster, a Quality Road colt, underwent minor throat surgery to fix a breathing problem after finishing third in the Grade I Del Mar Futurity last December. In Friday's race, with Mike Smith just steering, Roadster easily cruised home first with no real contest from the favorite, Nolo Contesto, who settled for second. "He's back on the Derby trail," Baffert said of Roadster. "That was quite a performance off a layoff."
Baffert's biggest issue now is finding spots for his big names to finish their Derby preparations without knocking heads too often against each other.
It's late, even by today's standards, to have a first-time starter jump into the Triple Crown picture. But take note of Hoffa's Union, a Union Rags gelding, who blasted off like a rocket in a maiden special weight event Thursday at Laurel Park, winning by 15 1/2 lengths over some more-experienced foes. He finished the 1 1/16 miles on a fast track in 1:43.61 for jockey Jorge Ruiz and trainer Gary Capuano. Stick this one in the "watch for the Preakness" file.
The 50 points Code of Honor earned Saturday moved the colt into second place on the "Road to the Kentucky Derby" leaderboard, behind only Risen Star Stakes winner War of Will. Those standings likely will get a good shakeup next weekend with the San Felipe at Santa Anita, the Gotham at Aqueduct and the Tampa Bay Derby each offering 50 points to the winner and the Jeff Ruby Steaks at Turfway Park chipping in 10.
Meanwhile, in Ireland, the Patton Stakes, which was postponed on Friday at Dundalk, has been rescheduled for Wednesday evening. The race is the first all-weather contest in the "European Road to the Kentucky Derby" and the original field included a trio of likely contenders from the Coolmore-Aidan O'Brien yard. Two of those -- Western Australia and Van Beethoven -- are nominated to the U.S. Triple Crown.
Declarations for the rescheduled Patton were set for Monday. Friday's card was canceled after two races when Willie Buckley, a member of the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board security team, was taken ill at the racecourse and subsequently died.
Kentucky Oaks Preps
Jaywalk, the 2018 juvenile fillies champ and Breeders' Cup winner, fizzled in her 3-year-old debut Saturday at Gulfstream Park, the $200,000 Grade II Davona Dale. Jaywalk chased the pace made by Cookie Dough, only to see 51-1 long shot Jeltrin edge both of them after a long drive, winning by a head over Cookie Dough. Jaywalk slowed to a comparative walk and finished fourth.
Jeltrin, a Tapizar filly whose only previous win was in a maiden claiming race at Gulfstream Park West, ran 1 mile on a fast track in 1:36.83 under Luis Saez. Saez was a late replacement for scheduled rider Leonel Reyes, who suffered an incredibly poorly timed injury prior to the start of Saturday's ninth race.
Jaywalk's trainer, John Servis, blamed himself for the loss. "She just needed the race. She just came up a little bit empty, that's all," Servis said. "I thought she was tight enough, but obviously she wasn't. I'm not happy that she didn't win. I thought she'd win. Shame on me for thinking that she was good enough to beat these horses anyway, but she'll be fine."
Servis said Jaywalk will be pointed to either the Grade II Gulfstream Park Oaks March 30 or the Grade I Ashland at Keeneland April 6 for her final Kentucky Oaks prep.
Jeltrin's trainer, Alexis Delgado, scored his first graded stakes win. "I'm very happy. It's a good feeling -- a dream," Delgado said.
