It was another big week for Virginia-connected horses last week. Honor Code, part-owned by Virginia Racing Commission chairman Sarge Reynolds, ran a huge race to win the Grade II Gulfstream Park Handicap by half a length.
Honor Code winning the Gulfstream Park Handicap. Photo courtesy Kenny Martin.
The son of A.P. Indy has never been worse than second in six starts, including a victory in the Grade II Remsen and a second-placed finish in the Grade I Champagne.
“At the eighth pole I thought maybe he was going to hang a little bit. But then he switched to his right lead and he came on,” traner Shug McGaughey said. “To see him run a race like that; this was only his second race in a year, we’ve all got to remember that. To see him come back and run the way he did and dig down, and from the five-sixteenths pole to the wire to run as hard as he did and then gallop out as well as he did, it’s a tribute to the horse.”
Virginia-bred Valid ran a strong race to be third despite being bumped repeatedly in the straight.
At Tampa Bay on March 7, one-time Kentucky Derby hopeful General a Rod, bred by Anne Poulson’s Hare Forest Farm, won the $60,000 Challenger Stakes by daylight. The 4-year-old son of Roman Ruler won the Gulfstream Derby in 2014, but hadn’t since the winner’s circle until this effort. Out of the Dynaformer mare Dynamite Eyes, he paid $5.60 to win by over 6 lengths here.
On March 5, every Virginia-bred that ran, across the country, ended the day in the winner’s circle. The Hart Farm-bred Lucky Stranger won an allowance at Delta Downs, while their Malibu Moon gelding Moonlight Meeting (now owned by Qatar Racing) broke his maiden at Santa Anita by 2 1/4 lengths. Meanwhile, the Lazy Lane homebred Rapid Rhythm broke her maiden first out at Fair Grounds. The 3-year-old daughter of Successful Appeal out of the Quiet American mare Patriot Miss took the 5 1/2-furlong turf contest by the better part of 2 lengths.