Code of Honor Headlines Closing-Day Fayette at Keeneland

Two-time Grade 1 winner Code of Honor tops a field of nine 3-year-olds and older runners in the 64th running of the $200,000 Hagyard Fayette (G2) on Saturday, October 30 - the final day of the 17-day Fall Meet.

The Hagyard Fayette is the featured event of the 10-race card, which includes the $150,000 Bryan Station and $150,000 Bowman Mill.

The Hagyard Fayette, scheduled for 1 1/8 miles over the main track, will go as the ninth race with a 5:16 p.m. ET post time. First post is 1 p.m.

The stakes will mark the final start of Code of Honor's career. Owned and bred by W.S. Farish, Code of Honor at 3 won the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) via disqualification and captured the Travers (G1). Winner of a total of six graded stakes in his career, he was second in the 2019 Kentucky Derby (G1).

Trained by Shug McGaughey, the 5-year-old by Noble Mission (GB) comes into the Hagyard Fayette off a fourth-place finish in the Woodward (G1) at Belmont on Oct. 2. Code of Honor worked Monday at Keeneland, covering 4 furlongs in :49.60 over a fast track.

Tyler Gaffalione, the Fall Meet's leading rider, will have the mount Saturday on Code of Honor and break from post seven.

Also figuring to attract attention in the race are Night Ops, Sleepy Eyes Todd and the 3-year-old King Fury.

Steve Landers Racing's Night Ops, second in the Ben Ali (G3) here this spring, has posted a 7-0-4-2 mark in 2021 and exits a fourth-place finish in the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) on Sept. 4 in his most recent start. Trained by Brad Cox, Night Ops will be ridden by Florent Geroux and break from post four.

Thumbs Up Racing's Sleepy Eyes Todd, who went from last in a 12-horse field to win the Lafayette here last fall on the Breeders' Cup undercard, was second to Art Collector in the Charles Town Classic (G2) in his most recent start.

An earner of more than $2 million, Sleepy Eyes Todd finished fifth in the $20 million Saudi Cup (G1) and 10th in the $12 million Dubai World Cup (G1) before returning to the U.S. in April. Trained by Miguel Silva, Sleepy Eyes Todd will break from post position one and be ridden by Ry Eikleberry.

Fern Creek Stables and Three Chimneys Farm's King Fury enters Saturday's race off a 13-length victory in the Bourbon Trail on Sept. 25 at Churchill Downs. Trained by Kenny McPeek, King Fury won the Lexington (G3) here this spring. King Fury will break from post six and be ridden by Brian Hernandez Jr.

A total of 10 3-year-olds have won the Hagyard Fayette with the most recent being Blame in 2009.

The field for the Hagyard Fayette, with riders and weights from the inside, is: Sleepy Eyes Todd (Ry Eikleberry, 121 pounds), Manhattan Up (Chris Landeros, 121), Militarist (Martin Garcia, 121), Night Ops (Florent Geroux, 121), Independence Hall (Javier Castellano, 121), King Fury (Brian Hernandez Jr., 120), Code of Honor (Tyler Gaffalione, 121), Fort Peck (David Cohen, 121), Major Fed (Ricardo Santana Jr., 121).

Tacitus Heads List Of 27 Nominations For 2021 Grade 2 Fayette

OCT 16 - Juddmonte's homebred Tacitus, fourth in the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) here last fall in his lone Keeneland appearance, heads a list of 27 horses nominated to the 64th running of the $200,000 Hagyard Fayette Stakes (G2) going 1 1/8 miles on the main track to be run October 30, closing day of the 17-day Fall Meet.

Trained by Bill Mott, Tacitus has earned more than $3.7 million in his career with five placings in Grade 1 events and three Grade 2 victories. In his most recent start, Tacitus finished fourth behind top 2021 Breeders' Cup Classic contender Knicks Go in the Lukas Classic (G3) at Churchill Downs.

Other nominees of note with Keeneland success include Steve Landers Racing's Night Ops, who was second in the Ben Ali (G3) this spring; Thumbs Up Racing's well-traveled Sleepy Eyes Todd, winner of the Lafayette here last fall, and Fern Circle Stables and Three Chimneys Farm's King Fury, winner of the Stonestreet Lexington (G3) this spring and recent 13-length winner of the Bourbon Trail at Churchill Downs.

Closing day of the Keeneland meet will feature two other stakes: the 17th running of the $150,000 Bryan Station for 3-year-olds going a mile on the turf and the new $150,000 Bowman Mill for 2-year-olds going 6 furlongs on the main track.

Homewrecker Racing's Point Me By, winner of the Bruce D. Stakes (G1) at Arlington Park on Aug. 14, tops a list of 38 nominees to the Bryan Station. Eddie Kenneally trains Point Me By.

Other nominees of note are Madaket Stables and Ecurie Ades-Hazen's Virginia Derby (G3) winner Wootton Asset (FR), trained by Graham Motion, and trainer Rusty Arnold's duo of Calumet Farm's Cellist, third in the Belmont Derby (G1), and Ashbrook Farm's Ginsburned, who was third in the Bruce D.

Robert and Lawana Low's My Prankster, fourth in the Champagne (G1) in his most recent start for trainer Todd Pletcher, tops the list of 20 nominations for the Bowman Mill.

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