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Honor Way secures second straight stakes win in $100K Garland of Roses

by Ryan Martin

Saul Kupferberg’s Honor Way produced another consistent effort, securing an outside position from last around the turn to take command in the final half-furlong for a 1 ½-length triumph in Sunday’s $100,000 Garland of Roses going six furlongs for fillies and mares 3-years-old and upward at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The 6-year-old Caleb’s Posse bay mare scored back-to-back victories for the first time in her 41-race career, arriving at the Garland of Roses off a 4 ½-length victory in the November 1 Pumpkin Pie over sloppy going at Belmont Park for trainer Charlton Baker.

Honor Way broke cleanly from the gate as stakes-winner Honey I’m Good established her usual frontrunning position through an opening quarter mile in 22.82 seconds with Pacific Gale tracking just to her outside in second on the fast main track.

Around the far turn, Honor Way inched her way into contention under jockey Jose Lezcano as Honey I’m Good was still the one to catch. Honor Way collared her foe just inside the sixteenth-pole and drew away in a final time of 1:11.09.

Honey I’m Good held second by a neck over Pacific Gale. Saguaro Row, Bridlewood Cat and Lady Ninja completed the order of finish. Hey Mamaluke was scratched.

Honor Way, who boasts a reliable 10-4-3-2 record on the year, upped her lifetime earnings to $688,892 through a 41-13-8-7 overall record.

The win marked a fifth stakes victory of the meet for Lezcano.

“She broke OK but she's the type of filly that's a grinder. At the five-sixteenths, I asked her to pick it up and she was moving really good,” Lezcano said. “I had so much horse at the quarter-pole. When I asked her, she really took off. I looked in front of me and I could see the other horses coming back to me and my filly was really getting into stride.”

Baker said he was a little concerned at the top of the stretch that his mare would come up a little short of victory.

“Turning for home, I thought he might be a little busier than he was, but he rode her really confidently down the lane,” Baker said. “She's at the top of her game right now. Since Saratoga, she's been unbelievable. She got that little break after the pandemic.”

Baker stated that the $100,000 Interborough on January 18 at the Big A would be a likely next spot for Honor Way. She has finished third in the seven-furlong event for the past two runnings.

Live racing resumes Thursday for opening day of the winter meet at the Big A with a nine-race card. First post is 12:20 p.m. Eastern.