Honor Code, Cairo Prince both headed to Florida

Speaking by telephone from South Florida, where he soon

will be joined by Grade 2 Remsen hero Honor Code, Hall of Fame trainer Shug

McGaughey said the A.P. Indy ridgling came out of his victory in good order and will

be prepared for a 2014 Triple Crown campaign.

"What impressed me the most was how he handled the day; he

shipped over (from Belmont Park) well and broke a lot better," McGaughey said.

"They went three-quarters in 1:17 (2/5) but he was right there. He made the

lead, lost it and then refocused. They went the last part in :11 and change and

he beat a very nice horse (in Cairo Prince) who'd run twice since Honor Code's

last race."

Honor Code is now 2-1-0 from three career starts, having

broken his maiden in a last-to-first effort going seven furlongs at Saratoga

on August 31 and then finishing second to Havana by just a quarter-length in the

Champagne going a mile at Belmont Park on October 5.

"I was watching the replay and he galloped out well, which

is what (jockey Javier Castellano) said in our conversation after the race," McGaughey

added.

McGaughey indicated Honor Code most likely would begin his

three-year-old campaign in Florida but left open the option of returning to New York

for the Wood Memorial.

"He's going to be here in Florida; we'll watch him and see

how he's doing," the trainer said. "I've got nothing specific in my head other

than he'll start when and where he tells us."

Cairo Prince just missed in the Remsen, losing by a nose in a head-bobbing

finish with Honor Code, and Kiaran McLaughlin is convinced he has a top

three-year-old prospect in the the gray son of Pioneerof the Nile. The trainer

reported that his charge emerged from Saturday's efforts in good order.

"He was wide on both turns and then when he got there at

the eighth-pole, the jockey (Luis Saez) was maybe a little overconfident and

thought he was the winner," McLaughlin declared. "Then Javier came back (aboard

Honor Code) and it was his day yesterday, winning five.

"Honor Code is a nice horse, but we were giving him six pounds and to lose by

a nose, we feel like we have the best horse right now. Moving forward, we'll

see."

McLaughlin said Cairo Prince would depart for Florida this

week, with an eye toward the Triple Crown preps, possibly to include the Gotham and

Wood Memorial at Aqueduct.

"He's the real deal," said the trainer. "He'll get the distance; he was

unlucky yesterday."

McLaughlin added that four-year-old filly

Wedding Toast, who ran her win streak to four in Saturday's Grade 3 Comely, also came

out of the race in good order and will be traveling to Florida as well.

"Wedding Toast ran great; Javier rode her great and she dug

in gamely," he said. "We'll look at coming back up here for races like the Top

Flight and the Ruffian, just trying to keep her and (Grade 1 winner) Dance Card

apart."

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