Kentucky Derby Horses: Honor A.P.

2020 Kentucky Derby Contender Profiles

By Ed McNamara

The Santa Anita Derby (G1) winner looks like one of the few who’s capable of upsetting Tiz the Law.

Honor A.P. – Photo courtesy of ©Benoit Photo

Honor A.P. jockey Mike Smith tells us: “I have a legitimate chance. I think my horse is good enough to win if he brings his ‘A’ game.” A brilliant workout on Aug. 15 at Del Mar (5 furlongs in 59.40 with a powerful gallop-out) improved his case.

To Smith, the loss to Thousand Words in the 1 1/16-mile Shared Belief Stakes at Del Mar on Aug. 1 is a throw-out because the distance was too short and because Honor A.P. wasn’t fully cranked up. His pedigree says 1 1/4 miles should be no problem, and he deserves serious consideration as an alternative to the heavy favorite.

Worked 5 furlongs in 1:00.20 at Del Mar on Aug. 22, eighth fastest of 74 at the distance. One more work before heading to Churchill Downs on Monday.

Each profile will be updated with morning-line odds and post position after the field is drawn on Tuesday, Sept. 1.

Odds: TBD

Post position: TBD

Jockey: Mike Smith

Trainer: John Shirreffs

Owner: C R K Stable

Career record: 5-2-3-0

Career earnings: $382,200

Top Equibase speed figure: 106

Kentucky Derby points: 140 (4^th)

Pedigree: Honor Code-Hollywood Story, by Wild Rush

Color: Dark bay

Running style: Stalker

Notes: This will be the fifth Derby starter for Shirreffs, who sent out Giacomo (Smith was aboard) to win the 2005 Run for the Roses at odds of 50-1 – among the biggest upsets in the history of the race … Hall of Famer Smith will be riding in a record-equaling 26^th Derby – matching the mark held by the great Bill Shoemaker, a four-time Derby winner; Smith has two Derby wins, Giacomo in 2005 and Justify in 2018 … Owner C R K Stable (Lee and Susan Searing) had one previous Derby starter, Candy Boy (13^th, 2004).

(US Racing’s Kentucky Derby coverage will include profiles of the horses listed as probable for the race on Saturday, Sept. 5. Each day until the post-position draw on Tuesday, Sept. 1, US Racing will publish selected profiles of the contenders.)