68-year-old Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey avoided the Triple Crown races in favour of the Gr.1 US$1.25 million Travers Stakes and was rewarded with a fourth win in the Travers when William S. Farish's Code of Honor and fellow Hall of Famer John Velazquez posted a three-length victory over favored Tacitus.
The homebred son of Noble Mission's lone prep was the Gr.3 Dwyer Stakes, which he won. Michael Lund Petersen's Mucho Gusto, trained by Bob Baffert, settled for third, 1 1/4 lengths ahead of Godolphin's Endorsed.
Farish's second Travers starter, the Chad Brown-trained Highest Honors, wound up sixth on a day that will be remembered for a plan coming together perfectly.
1st Code of Honor (C. McGaughey III,J. Velazquez), 2nd Tacitus (W. Mott,J. Ortiz), 3rd Mucho Gusto (B. Baffert,J. Talamo), 4th Endorsed (K. McLaughlin,J. Rosario), 5th Owendale (B. Cox,F. Geroux), 6th Highest Honors (C. Brown,L. Saez), 7th Tax (D. Gargan,I. Ortiz, Jr.), 8th Chess Chief (D. Stewart,M. Smith), 9th Laughing Fox (S. Asmussen,R. Santana, Jr.), 10th Scars Are Cool (S. Hough,T. Gaffalione), 11th Looking At Bikinis (C. Brown,J. Castellano), 12th Everfast (D. Romans,M. Chuan)
Distance: 1 1⁄4 miles (10 Furlongs), Record: 1:59.36, Arrogate (2016), Surface: Dirt, Track: Left-handed, Qualification: 3-year-olds, Weight: Colt/Gelding: 126 lb (57 kg), Filly: 121 lb (55 kg),Purse: US$1,250,000