That was a very nice return to action just now by Code of Honor in the Dwyer Stakes, and I say that knowing full well that third place finisher Rowayton would have been much closer with a clear trip.

Anyway, Code of Honor won off in the Dwyer even though he rallied from well off a pace that was quite deliberate.

Code of Honor is an interesting member of a 3-year-old male division that is absolutely wide open going into the second half of the year.

Code of Honor was purposefully freshened by trainer Shug McGaughey after he was moved up to second in the Kentucky Derby, all with an eye toward a summer campaign. And with the way his division has played out since, that might prove to be a prescient decision. If Code of Honor can tack a couple of bigger wins onto his return - and his Dwyer suggests he he quite capable of that - he could build a divisional Eclipse Award candidacy that would be about as good as any of his contemporaries.