Honor A. P.

Honor A. P. (foaled March 13, 2017) is a retired American Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the 2020 Santa Anita Derby. He was also second in the San Felipe and Shared Belief Stakes and finished fourth in the 2020 Kentucky Derby.

Honor A. P.
SireHonor Code
GrandsireA.P. Indy
DamHollywood Story
DamsireWild Rush
Sexcolt
Foaled (2017-03-13) March 13, 2017[1]
CountryUSA
ColourDark Bay
BreederGeorge Krikorian
OwnerC R K Stable LLC
TrainerJohn Shirreffs
Record6: 2–3–0
Earnings$532,200[2]
Major wins
Santa Anita Derby (2020)
Last updated on June 20, 2020

Background

Honor A. P. is a dark bay colt with a broad white blaze, bred in Kentucky by George Krikorian. As a yearling in 2018 he was consigned to the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale and was bought for $850,000 by CRK Stable. He was trained by John Shirreffs.[2]

Honor A. P. is from the first crop of foals by Honor Code, a Kentucky-bred stallion whose wins included the Metropolitan Handicap, the Whitney Stakes and the Gulfstream Park Handicap. Honor Code was a late-developing horse known for his come-from-behind finishing kick.[3] Honor A. P. was named in honor of his grandsire, the great A.P. Indy. Honor A. P.'s dam Hollywood Story was a successful racemare who won the Vanity Stakes, Hawthorne Handicap and Bayakoa Stakes. The female line traces back to the broodmare Myrtlewood, whose family includes leading sires Mr. Prospector and Seattle Slew.[4][5][6]

Career

2019: two-year-old season

Honor A. P.'s first race was on August 17, 2019, at Del Mar Racetrack, where he finished second. In his second race on October 13, he scored a win at Santa Anita in a maiden special weight over one mile on the dirt track.[2]

2020: three-year-old season

Honor A. P. started his 2020 season on March 7 at Santa Anita in the San Felipe Stakes, one of the traditional prep races on the Road to the Kentucky Derby. He rated in fourth place behind the early leaders and then closed ground to finish second behind Authentic. He earned a solid Beyer Speed Figure of 95 for the race, establishing himself as a serious contender for the Derby. However, Santa Anita was shut down shortly after the race because of the 2019 coronavirus pandemic, while the Kentucky Derby wound up being rescheduled to September.[7]

On June 6, Honor A. P. returned in the Santa Anita Derby, where he was the second betting choice at odds of 2-1 behind Authentic. He again rated behind the early pace in a tightly bunched pack, then started his move on the final turn while swinging four wide. He hit the lead in mid-stretch and continued to draw away to win by ​1 1⁄2 lengths. Shirreffs was happy with the effort. "We knew that he has tactical speed", he said, "and [jockey Mike Smith] can put him pretty much where he wants. On the backside, we hoped he would get comfortable to have a nice little kick in the end, and it all worked out well."[8]

Honor A. P. made his next start in the Shared Belief Stakes on August 1. In a field that scratched down to just four horses, he went off as the prohibitive 1-5 favorite. He and the horses on either side of him bumped each other at the start, then chased after early leader Thousand Words in a tight pack. Honor A. P. dropped back a bit on the backstretch then started to improve position on the far turn. However, he could not get by Thousand Words, who won by three-quarters of a length.[9]

The 2020 Kentucky Derby had been rescheduled from May 2 to September 5. Of the seventeen horses that went to post, Honor A. P. was the second betting choice at odds of 5–1. Tiz the Law was the heavy favorite based on wins in the Belmont Stakes, Travers Stakes and Florida Derby. Authentic went to the early lead and was able to slow down the pace after a fast opening quarter-mile. Honor A. P. broke slowly and was near the back of the field, some 13 lengths behind Authentic after half a mile. He gradually started to improve position on the turn but was still in ninth place with seven lengths to make up with a quarter-mile remaining. He kept grinding away and closed to finish fourth behind Authentic.[10][11] Smith said that the colt had not adjusted to the racing surface at Churchill Downs. "He spun out from the word go," said Smith. "Really did."[12]

It was later discovered that Honor A. P. had pulled a tendon during the race, resulting in his retirement.[13]

Statistics
Date Race Racecourse Grade Distance Finish Margin Time Weight Odds Jockey Ref
Aug 17, 2019 Maiden Del Mar Racetrack 6 Furlongs 2 (2 1/2 Lengths) 1:10.81 120 lbs 8.90 Mike E. Smith [2]
Oct 13, 2019 Maiden Santa Anita Park 1 mile 1 5 1/4 Lengths 1:37.94 122 lbs 0.50* Mike E. Smith [2]
Mar 7, 2020 San Felipe Stakes Santa Anita Park || 1 1/16 mile 2 (2 1/4 Lengths) 1:43.56 120 lbs 3.20 Mike E. Smith [14]
Jun 6, 2020 Santa Anita Derby Santa Anita Park | 1 1/8 mile 1 2 3/4 Lengths 1:48.97 124 lbs 2.20 Mike E. Smith [15]
Aug 1, 2020 Shared Belief Stakes Del Mar Racetrack || 1 1/16 mile 2 (3/4 Length) 1:43.85 124 lbs 0.20* Mike E. Smith [16]
Sep 5, 2020 Kentucky Derby Churchill Downs | 1 1/4 mile 4 (5 Lengths) 2:00.61 126 lbs 7.60 Mike E. Smith [17]

Retirement

Honor A. P. was retired to stud at Lane's End Farm, where he was moved to the stall formerly occupied by his grandsire, A.P. Indy, who had died earlier in 2020.[18] His first foals will be of racing age in 2024.

Pedigree
Pedigree of Honor A. P. (USA), 2017[1]
Sire
Honor Code (USA)
2011		 A.P. Indy (USA)
2001		 Seattle Slew Bold Reasoning
My Charmer
Weekend Surprise Secretariat
Lassie Dear
Serena's Cat (USA)
2003		 Storm Cat Storm Bird
Terlingua
Serena's Tune Mr. Prospector
Serena's Song
Dam
Hollywood Story (USA)
2001		 Wild Rush (USA)
1994		 Wild Again Icecapade
Bushel n' Peck
Rose Park Plugged Nickle
Hardship
Wife for Life (USA)
1994		 Dynaformer Roberto
Andover Way
Huggle Duggle Never Bend
Crown the Queen (family 13-c)[19]

References
  1. "Pedigree". Equineline. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
  2. "Honor A. P. Profile". Retrieved 5 July 2020.
  3. "Honor Code Profile". americanclassicpedigrees.
  4. "Honor A.P. Cracks the Genetic Code". Thoroughbred Daily News. 11 June 2020. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
  5. "2004 Bayakoa Stakes". Retrieved 5 July 2020.
  6. "Hollywood Story". Equibase. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
  7. "San Felipe Results". Retrieved 5 July 2020.
  8. "Honor A. P. Captures Santa Anita Derby". BloodHorse.com. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
  9. "Chart of the Shared Belief". Equibase. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
  10. "Chart of the Kentucky Derby". Equibase. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
  11. Drape, Joe; Hoppert, Melissa (4 September 2020). "Expert Picks: Who Will Win the Kentucky Derby". The New York Times. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
  12. "Authentic Turns Back Tiz the Law to Win Kentucky Derby". BloodHorse.com. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
  13. "Authentic Turns Back Tiz the Law to Win Kentucky Derby". BloodHorse.com. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
  14. "Authentic remains undefeated in San Felipe".
  15. "Honor A.P. turns tables on Authentic in Santa Anita Derby".
  16. "Thousand Words upsets Honor A.P. In Shared Belief Stakes".
  17. "Authentic wins 146th Kentucky Derby".
  18. https://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/243514/honor-a-p-settles-in-at-lanes-end. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  19. "Thoroughbred Bloodlines – Stray Shot – Family 13-c". www.bloodlines.net. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
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