NYRA/Adam Coglianese
Tri-Bone Stable’s three-year-old New York-bred colt Effinex deserved to be a longshot in the 39th running of the mile-and-an-eighth $300,000 Empire Classic Handicap Saturday on New York Showcase Day at Belmont Park. Heck, he was beaten 10 lengths when he finished third as the 2-1 favorite in a second-level state-bred allowance race in his last start, the first time Angel Arroyo rode him. That was Effinex’s sixth straight defeat.
Trainer Jimmy Jerkens – whom you may have noticed is having a rather remarkable year with two other three-year-olds named Wicked Strong and V.E. Day – made two important decisions for Effinex’s next start in the Empire Classic. He let Arroyo, who had already won one of the Showcase stakes Saturday, keep the mount, and he added blinkers.
The blinkers helped and Arroyo delivered a brilliant ride as Effinex wore down front-running So Lonesome to win by a neck.
Bettors had difficulty selecting a favorite for the Empire, sending both Saratoga Snacks and Sioux off at 5-2, with Sioux the slight favorite.
Saratoga Snacks, who switched barns from Gary Sciacca to Bill Mott earlier this year, finished second to Lunar Victory in the 2012 Empire Classic and won the 2013 version by three-quarters of a length. But he hadn’t won since, finishing eighth in the Grade I Cigar Mile, then second and fourth in a pair of New York-bred stakes. In his last start, a New York-bred allowance, he’d finished sixth at 7-5 behind two other horses he was facing Saturday, Beautyinthepulpit and Eye Luv Lulu.
Sioux had won two consecutive state-bred allowance races by wide margins and was making his first start in a stakes race.
Of his opposition, So Lonesome went off the 7-2 third choice under Jose Lezcano. The entry of Empire Dreams and Awesome Vision was 6-1; Beautyinthepulpit 9-1, Sinistra 12-1, Eye Luv Lulu 13-1 and Effinex the longest shot on the board at 17-1.
So Lonesome, who needed a saddle adjustment before walking into the starting gate, went immediately for the lead from the five post. So did Eye Luv Lulu, who was ridden by Mike Luzzi from the six post.
So Lonesome led Eye Luv Lulu by a neck in a :23.66 opening quarter. Sioux got away third on their outside, while Sinistra moved up on the inside. Effinex, on the outside of Saratoga Snacks, alternated with him in fifth and sixth.
So Lonesome increased his lead to 3 1/2 lengths in a :47.09 half-mile, still tracked by Eye Luv Lulu and Sioux in second and third.
Heading into the far turn, Arroyo kept Effinex on the inside and he moved up into fourth after three-quarters in 1:11.31. While Eye Luv Lulu and Sioux tried gaining on the outside of So Lonesome, Effinex continued to gain on his inside.
In mid-stretch, Eye Luv Lulu and Sioux tired, and Arroyo took Effinex to the outside to go after So Lonesome, who was still two lengths clear after completing the mile in 1:35.92.
Effinex moved up on his outside, kept grinding and wore So Lonesome down in deep stretch to get up by a neck in 1:48.51. There was a gap of 5 3/4 lengths separating So Lonesome and Beautyinthepulpit in third. Saratoga Snacks was fourth, another 1 3/4 lengths back.
“We figured we’d take a shot,” Jerkens said.
Arroyo was certainly happy that Jerkens did. “The blinkers made a big difference today,” Arroyo said. “He ran great.
Effinex is a colt by Mineshaft out of What a Pear by E Dubai who was bred by Dr. Russell Cohen. Effinex now has three victories, a second and two thirds in 10 starts with more than $325,000 in earnings.
