Honor A.P. in training at Santa Anita Park
Can Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes runner-up Honor A. P. turn the tables on the race’s undefeated winner, Authentic, when they meet again in the G1 Santa Anita Derby on June 6?
Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith, who rides Honor A. P. for trainer John Shirreffs, thinks the Honor Code colt can do just that.
In an interview with Millie Ball for her Trainer’s Corner blog at XBTV.com, Smith said Honor A. P. “had had a foot injury so we were going into the San Felipe probably 75 to 80 percent, if that.”
In the 1 1/16-mile San Felipe, Honor A. P. settled into fourth place early as the Bob Baffert-trained Authentic controlled the pace under Drayden Van Dyke. Honor A. P. made a sustained run going into the far turn and ranged up to the outside of Authentic at the top of the stretch, but the Into Mischief colt spurted away to a 2 1/4 length victory.
“Although I wasn’t able to pass him that day at least I got to him and then when Authentic drew off, that’s about the time Honor A. P. was getting tired,” Smith told Ball. “So with that race under our belt and the way he’s training now, hopefully we’ll have that passing gear to get on by him this time around.”
The Santa Anita will be run at 1 1/8 miles.
Shirreffs has put in a steady string of 10 workouts into Honor A. P. since the San Felipe, including a trio of works going seven furlongs. Most recently on May 22, he breezed five furlongs in :59.20, fastest of 28 workouts at the distance that morning. (XBTV VIDEO)
Honor A. P. has only run three times. He finished second sprinting against maidens last August at Del Mar, then went wire to wire to graduate around two turns at Santa Anita in October.
Out of multiple G1 winner Hollywood Story – also trained by Shirreffs – Honor A.P. is from the first crop of foals by Lane’s End stallion Honor Code, Eclipse Award-winning son of Horse of the Year and leading sire A.P. Indy. Like his G1 Belmont Stakes-winning grandsire, Honor A. P. appears to be a horse that will relish classic distances.
“He’s extremely intelligent,” Smith told Ball, “he’s very good from the gate, very well balanced, he’s bred to go the mile and a quarter distance (of the Kentucky Derby). As a matter of fact, with each one of his races he seems to get better the farther we go.”
Read more of Millie Ball’s interview with Mike Smith at XBTV.com
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