Codex (USA)
February 28, 1977 – August 20, 1984
Arts and Letters (USA) x Roundup Rose (USA), by Minnesota Mac (USA)
Family 9-c
February 28, 1977 – August 20, 1984
Arts and Letters (USA) x Roundup Rose (USA), by Minnesota Mac (USA)
Family 9-c
Codex was very near the top of his crop in ability as a 3-year-old, but he is less remembered for his talent than for his part in perhaps the most controversial Preakness Stakes of all time. As Kentucky Derby (USA-G1) winner Genuine Risk came up to challenge under Jacinto Vasquez, Angel Cordero on Codex carried the filly very wide; the horses brushed, and some observers maintain to this day that Cordero's whip struck Genuine Risk's head. What is undeniable is that the filly lost her momentum and was beaten by 4¾ lengths as Codex pulled away. Fans and sportswriters howled their outrage when the Pimlico stewards disallowed Vasquez' foul claim and allowed the result to stand (a decision confirmed after investigation by the Maryland Racing Commission), and in the furor, the quality of Codex's performance and the talent he had previously shown were all but forgotten. He had little chance to redeem the reputation that had been tarnished by the controversy as he ran seventh on a muddy track in the Belmont Stakes (USA-G1) and never raced again. He got off to a fine start at stud but died young.
Race record
15 starts, 6 wins, 2 seconds, 1 third, US$534,576
1980:
Assessments
Rated at 124 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for 3-year-old males of 1980, 2 pounds below champion Temperence Hill.
As an individual
A chestnut horse, Codex was a taller, leggier, more angular type than his sire Arts and Letters. He had an excellent shoulder, good bone, a short back and a sloping croup but had his hocks slightly out behind him. He was backward as a juvenile but began coming around early in his 3-year-old season. He generally preferred to stalk the pace when racing but could come from further back if necessary. He ran poorly in both his tries on an off track. He needed more recovery time than average between workouts and did not need a lot of fast work to stay fit. According to Daily Racing Form writer Joe Hirsch, Codex had been sore during his Belmont Stakes preparation and came out of the race “the worse for wear,” leading to his retirement.
As a stallion
According to records kept by The Jockey Club, Codex sired 71 winners (64.0%) and 10 stakes winners (9.0%) from 111 named foals.
Notable progeny
Badger Land (USA), Coup de Fusil (USA), Lost Code (USA)
Connections
Foaled in Florida, Codex was bred by Tartan Farms. He was owned by Tartan Stable and was trained by D. Wayne Lukas. He was syndicated for US$6.2 million following the Belmont Stakes (USA-G1) and entered stud at Tartan Farms in 1981. He was humanely destroyed following the onset of paralysis in August 1984.
Pedigree notes
Codex is inbred 4x5 to two-time American champion sire Heliopolis. He is a half brother to Rodeo Star (by Nodouble), a stakes-winning hurdler in England, and to Eyes (by Iron Ruler), dam of listed stakes winner Erstwhile (by Arts and Letters). Erstwhile, in turn, is the dam of 2000 Puerto Rican champion imported 3-year-old male Formerly Diablo (by Diablo) and multiple listed stakes winners Urus (by Kris S.) and Vilhelm (by Silver Hawk). Through other daughters, Eyes is the second dam of two more stakes winners and is the third dam of Grade 3 winner Chandtrue.
Codex is also a half brother to Dance Awhile (by Alleged), dam of stakes winner Dance the Slew (by Slew City Slew), and to Rose a Slew (by Slew City Slew), dam of South African stakes winner Soweto Slew (by Oratorio). Codex and his siblings are out of the Minnesota Mac mare Roundup Rose, who won her only start and is a full sister to 1975 Open Fire Stakes (USA-G3) winner Katonka. Katonka, in turn, produced Grade 2 winners Give Me Strength (by Exclusive Native) and Talakeno (by Vaguely Noble) and stakes winner Inca Chief (by Mr. Prospector). She is also the second dam of Japanese champion 2-year-old filly Stinger, Irish Group 2 winner Andros Bay, and Japanese Group 3 winner Urbanity and is the third dam of multiple European Group 1 winner Oratorio, Grade 2 winner Redeemed, and Japanese Group 3 winners Silent Melody and Forever Mark.
Codex's third dam, Minnetonka (by Chieftain), also produced 1983 Oaklawn Handicap (USA-G2) winner Eminency (by Vaguely Noble), multiple stakes winners Barrera (by Raise a Native) and Phaedra (by Graustark), and Silken Ripples (by Roberto), dam of Grade 3 winners Smooth Runner (by Local Talent) and Hidden Assets (by Mt. Livermore). The next dam in Codex's tail-female line, Heliolight (by Helioscope), is a winning daughter of 1952 American champion 3-year-old filly and handicap female Real Delight (by Bull Lea), the primary conduit for the family of Calumet Farm foundation mare Blue Delight.
Books and media
Codex is profiled in Chapter 11 of Avalyn Hunter's American Classic Pedigrees 1914-2002 (2003, Eclipse Press).
Fun facts
Last updated: April 6, 2022
Race record
15 starts, 6 wins, 2 seconds, 1 third, US$534,576
1980:
- Won Santa Anita Derby (USA-G1, 9FD, Santa Anita)
- Won Hollywood Derby (USA-G1, 9FD, Hollywood)
- Won Preakness Stakes (USA-G1, 9.5FD, Pimlico)
Assessments
Rated at 124 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for 3-year-old males of 1980, 2 pounds below champion Temperence Hill.
As an individual
A chestnut horse, Codex was a taller, leggier, more angular type than his sire Arts and Letters. He had an excellent shoulder, good bone, a short back and a sloping croup but had his hocks slightly out behind him. He was backward as a juvenile but began coming around early in his 3-year-old season. He generally preferred to stalk the pace when racing but could come from further back if necessary. He ran poorly in both his tries on an off track. He needed more recovery time than average between workouts and did not need a lot of fast work to stay fit. According to Daily Racing Form writer Joe Hirsch, Codex had been sore during his Belmont Stakes preparation and came out of the race “the worse for wear,” leading to his retirement.
As a stallion
According to records kept by The Jockey Club, Codex sired 71 winners (64.0%) and 10 stakes winners (9.0%) from 111 named foals.
Notable progeny
Badger Land (USA), Coup de Fusil (USA), Lost Code (USA)
Connections
Foaled in Florida, Codex was bred by Tartan Farms. He was owned by Tartan Stable and was trained by D. Wayne Lukas. He was syndicated for US$6.2 million following the Belmont Stakes (USA-G1) and entered stud at Tartan Farms in 1981. He was humanely destroyed following the onset of paralysis in August 1984.
Pedigree notes
Codex is inbred 4x5 to two-time American champion sire Heliopolis. He is a half brother to Rodeo Star (by Nodouble), a stakes-winning hurdler in England, and to Eyes (by Iron Ruler), dam of listed stakes winner Erstwhile (by Arts and Letters). Erstwhile, in turn, is the dam of 2000 Puerto Rican champion imported 3-year-old male Formerly Diablo (by Diablo) and multiple listed stakes winners Urus (by Kris S.) and Vilhelm (by Silver Hawk). Through other daughters, Eyes is the second dam of two more stakes winners and is the third dam of Grade 3 winner Chandtrue.
Codex is also a half brother to Dance Awhile (by Alleged), dam of stakes winner Dance the Slew (by Slew City Slew), and to Rose a Slew (by Slew City Slew), dam of South African stakes winner Soweto Slew (by Oratorio). Codex and his siblings are out of the Minnesota Mac mare Roundup Rose, who won her only start and is a full sister to 1975 Open Fire Stakes (USA-G3) winner Katonka. Katonka, in turn, produced Grade 2 winners Give Me Strength (by Exclusive Native) and Talakeno (by Vaguely Noble) and stakes winner Inca Chief (by Mr. Prospector). She is also the second dam of Japanese champion 2-year-old filly Stinger, Irish Group 2 winner Andros Bay, and Japanese Group 3 winner Urbanity and is the third dam of multiple European Group 1 winner Oratorio, Grade 2 winner Redeemed, and Japanese Group 3 winners Silent Melody and Forever Mark.
Codex's third dam, Minnetonka (by Chieftain), also produced 1983 Oaklawn Handicap (USA-G2) winner Eminency (by Vaguely Noble), multiple stakes winners Barrera (by Raise a Native) and Phaedra (by Graustark), and Silken Ripples (by Roberto), dam of Grade 3 winners Smooth Runner (by Local Talent) and Hidden Assets (by Mt. Livermore). The next dam in Codex's tail-female line, Heliolight (by Helioscope), is a winning daughter of 1952 American champion 3-year-old filly and handicap female Real Delight (by Bull Lea), the primary conduit for the family of Calumet Farm foundation mare Blue Delight.
Books and media
Codex is profiled in Chapter 11 of Avalyn Hunter's American Classic Pedigrees 1914-2002 (2003, Eclipse Press).
Fun facts
- Codex was not nominated to the Kentucky Derby because Tartan Farms general manager John Nerud felt that competing in the Triple Crown races was more often detrimental to a colt than not. He was nominated to the Preakness Stakes only because D. Wayne Lukas' chief assistant, his son Jeff Lukas, took it upon himself to add the colt to the list with other candidates from the stable. On the Monday after the Kentucky Derby, Lukas got permission from Nerud to go ahead and run Codex in the Preakness.
- At the time of its running, Codex's Preakness was tied with Spectacular Bid's in 1979 as the second-fastest of all time, a fifth of a second slower than Canonero II's stakes and track record run of 1:54 flat in 1971. Secretariat's 1973 time was later corrected to 1:53 flat, giving him the stakes and track record.
- Codex's closing :18-1/5 for the last 3/16 of a mile in the Preakness Stakes tied him with Little Current (1974) and Affirmed (1978) for the fastest final fraction in the race.
- A codex is a book constructed by binding handwritten sheets of writing material together; thus, Codex's name is a clever derivation from those of his sire and dam.
Last updated: April 6, 2022