(12-27-22) On December 23rd sad news came out of Kentucky’s Lane’s End Farm that Code of Honor (Noble Mission (GB) – Reunited, by Dixie Union 2016, ch,) had to be euthanized due to an irreparable bout of colic.

Based on information from the National Animal Health Monitoring System (NAHMS) survey, for every 100 horses, there will be 4.2 colic events every year. 1.2 percent of these events will be surgical, and 11 percent will be fatal. 

Lane’s End’s Bill Farish said in a press release after his sudden death –

“Code of Honor was such a special horse to both our family and the farm. Winning the Travers with a homebred will stand as one of the greatest highlights in the farm’s history. We are saddened by the loss of Code of Honor, who was just embarking on a promising career at stud.”

As a three year old Code of Honor, son of Noble Mission, was W.S. Farish’s homebred winner of the Grade 1 Travers Stakes and Jockey Club Gold Cup, and was the runner-up in the 2019 Kentucky Derby.

It was just a year ago (December 7th, 2021) that he returned to Lane’s End to stand his first year as a stud. …his initial fee started out at $10,000…for 2023 it was being lowered to $7,5000.

Lane’s End Game Plan Support Of ‘Code of Honor’

Farish said in a Bloodhorse article (12-7-21)-

We have bought a large number of mares to breed to him ourselves. We also will be active at the sales looking for sons and daughters of his; we’re putting everything into him.

In another Bloodhorse article from 11-13-21 bloodstock agent David Ingordo said –

“Mr. (Will) Farish believes highly in the horse and he and Bill (Farish) want to get some mares gathered up to support him, so we’re going to do everything in our power to help make the horse. We’re showing our support for him. Hopefully breeders will realize our commitment. We’re not only going to breed mares to him, we’re going to buy foals, yearlings, 2-year-olds. We’re going to try to put them in a program, spread them out to different trainers, and make some things happen. The horse was immensely talented.”

“We don’t stand a horse that we don’t support… If you look at our track record of success on the racetrack, a number of them are by our stallions.”

We support our own and we encourage the breeders to do it too because we support them when they support us.”

True to the promise made… Lane’s End supported multiple Grade 1 winner Code of Honor by purchasing 19 mares for $2.55 million under Code of Honor LLC/L.E.B., agent.

Code of Honor’s first foals will hit the ground in 2023. According to The Jockey Club he was bred to a total of 92 mares.

In an email response to our question about those future foals this spring…Farish told us –

Thank you for honoring this special horse. We are obviously devastated by his sudden loss. We bred around 21 mares to Code of Honor last season, 18 of which we purchased at the Keeneland November Sale in 2021. we are currently expecting 16 foals.

The sad passing of ‘Code of Honor’ can now see a small light in the tunnel. That light will start and grow when his only group of foals are born this spring. As you see by statements above Lane’s End is known for supporting their stallions from the start of their breeding career…Lane’s End kept that promise because they believed in him.

These first foals of ‘Code of Honor‘ will solidify what he did on the track…so be sure to keep an eye on this group in the future.

Check out – Nole Ksum Racing Stable

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