GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby winner Honor A.P. (Honor Code), expected to be no worse than third choice on the morning line for the Sept. 5 GI Kentucky Derby, tightened the screws with a five-furlong work in 1:00.20 (see below) before the first race at Del Mar Saturday. Regular rider Mike Smith, wearing the colors of C R K Stable, was in the irons. Honor A.P. clicked off fractions of :12, :24, :36.20, and :47.60, galloping out three-quarters in 1:12.20 and seven furlongs in 1:25.40.
The bay ridgling worked under the watchful eye of conditioner John Shirreffs, who previously paired up with Smith to win the Derby in 2005 with Giacomo (Holy Bull). In addition to his Santa Anita Derby score, Honor A.P. was most recently second behind Thousand Words (Pioneerof the Nile) Aug. 1 when shortening up by a sixteenth in Del Mar's Shared Belief S. The sophomore is slated to work one more time at Del Mar next weekend before shipping to Kentucky.
Ready for the first Saturday in September. pic.twitter.com/FHrEA1ML6n
— Del Mar Racetrack (@DelMarRacing) August 22, 2020
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