Commissioner pleases Pletcher; McGaughey upbeat about Honor Code, Top Billing

Todd Pletcher-trained Commissioner is training forwardly

for his scheduled stakes debut in the Grade 2, $400,000 Fountain of Youth

at Gulfstream Park on February 22.

"We're very pleased with him," Pletcher said. "Physically,

he's in great order. He holds his weight well. He's a very easy horse to

train.

The three-year-old son of A.P. Indy is scheduled to breeze at Palm Meadows,

Gulfstream's satellite training center in Boynton Beach, Florida, on Sunday in preparation

for the 1 1/16-mile prep for the Grade 1, $1 million Florida Derby on

March 29 and, eventually, the $2 million Kentucky Derby on May 3 at Churchill

Downs.

It will be Commissioner's fourth breeze

since his sensational 2014 debut.

The WinStar Farm homebred colt, who had opened his career

with a second-place finish at Monmouth and a 1 1/8-mile maiden-breaker at

Saratoga last summer, came back from a long layoff to prevail again at the 1

1/8-mile distance at Gulfstream on January 3. Commissioner stalked the pace before

taking over the lead in the stretch and holding off Top Billing by a neck.

"He breezed very well -- I was very pleased with him," McGaughey said. "He seemed to come out of it very well. I jogged him this

morning just to make sure and it seemed like he was none the worse for the wear,

so, hopefully, all systems are go."

A son of A.P. Indy, Honor Code defeated Cairo Prince in the

Remsen at Aqueduct on November 30, and underwent surgery to remove an

undescended testicle afterward. He was the shortest-priced individual betting

interest in the recently concluded Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 2, closing

at $12.10.

McGaughey, who enjoyed a trouble-free winter last season with Orb,

has yet to finalize plans for Honor Code's return to action.

"I think the (Grade 3, $500,000) Gotham (at Aqueduct on March 1) in New York

would be too soon," McGaughey stated. "Two weeks after that is the

(Grade 2, $600,000) Rebel (at

Oaklawn on March 15), and I think that would be one I could probably make."

The

Hall of Fame conditioner was philosophical about the possibility of a race for

Honor Code in the next condition book at Gulfstream.