Effinex upsets Grade 3 Excelsior for first graded tally

NYRA/Adam Coglianese[1]

NYRA/Adam Coglianese

by Sarah Mace

Tri-Bone Stables homebred Effinex (Mineshaft), winner of last year’s Empire Classic, spoiled the Aqueduct return of his more celebrated stablemate Wicked Strong, winner of the 2014 Grade 1 Wood Memorial, with a determined victory in Saturday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Excelsior Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Trained by Jimmy Jerkens, 4-year-old Effinex was unplaced in two prior graded stakes tries against older horses last year, finishing eighth the Grade 1 Wood Memorial and fourth in the Grade 2 Hawthorne Gold Cup Handicap. The colt came into the 1 1/4-mile Excelsior in sharp form, however, having won his seasonal debut at Aqueduct on March 27, an open optional-claimer over a muddy (sealed) track, by 3 1/2 lengths for which he earned a career high Beyer Speed Figure of 100. He breezed twice in the interim, including a seven-furlong move on April 16.

Breaking from post two of six at odds of 6-1 under Angel Arroyo, Effinex set up in fifth, saving ground around the first turn and settling in for a comfortable trip down the backstretch behind pacesetter Red Rifle, who carved out opening fractions of 24.55 and 49.23, pursued by 3-5 favorite Wicked Strong.

Beginning his winning bid around the three-eighths marker, Effinex swung four-wide into the stretch, pulled even with Red Rifle with a furlong to go and dug in gamely. Wearing down his rival and gaining the advantage in the final sixteenth of a mile, Effinex edged away gamely to garner the win by three-quarters of a length in a final time of 2:02.16. Red Rifle finished second followed by Wicked Strong, Micromanage, Turco Bravo, and Stormin Monarcho. North Slope and Cousin Stephen were scratched. [VIDEO[2]]

effinex excelsior credit joe labozzetta[3]Arroyo said, “I had the best trip. I was able to break good and relax behind the speed. I waited for the stretch, and my horse responded when I asked. He’s a nice horse.”

Jerkens explained how he has structured the beginning of the New York-bred’s 4-year-old year. “[Effinex] had a long campaign last year, going against older horses” said Jerkens. “After he ran lackluster on New Year’s Eve [fourth-place finish in the Alex M. Robb Stakes], we decided there was no sense in knocking him out. We thought that if we gave him a late spring campaign, we could give him his best shot to become a better horse because he had run pretty hard last year.”

Jerkens said there are no definite plans in the works for a next start for Effinex. As to heavy favorite Wicked Strong, Jerkens added that he felt it was a “good effort,” considering the distance. “He’ll be back.”

Effinex, a late nomination to 2014 Triple Crown Series, has a history of confounding the betting public. Having broken his maiden in his second start via a disqualification on March 1 last year, he romped in a state-bred allowance three weeks later at odds of 28-1. A well-supported runner up to So Lonesome in last year’s Albany at Saratoga, he was dismissed two starts later at odds of 17-1 in the Empire Classic Handicap, the marquis race of Empire Showcase Day last October and his best performance prior to the Excelsior.

Bred by Dr. Russell Cohen, whose mother is the principal of Tri-Bone Stables, Effinex is the only foal produced by multiple stakes winning Tri-Bone homebred What a Pear by E Dubai. Tri-Bone purchased What a Pear’s dam Perfect Pair as a juvenile at OBS in 1999 for $28,000.

Following his fifth victory, along with a second and two thirds, Effinex has earned $507,250 from 14 career starts.

Past New York-bred winners of the Excelsior in its 103-year history include Funny Cide (2004), Giant Moon (2009) and Inherit the Gold (2011).

 

Endnotes:
  1. [Image]: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/effinexexcelsior-.jpg
  2. VIDEO: http://www.nytbreeders.org/includes/video-player.cfm?date=20150425&track=AQD&race=8
  3. [Image]: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/effinex-excelsior-credit-joe-labozzetta.jpg

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2015/04/25/effinex-excelsior/

It’s a wrap: NY-breds gain ground at OBS Spring, top-end sales expand

by Sarah Mace

New York-breds made a strong showing during a robust renewal of the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company’s spring sale of 2-year-olds in training, matching the overall sale median and gaining ground in average price over last year. The New York-bred market at the very top end also expanded significantly. The standout in the final session of the four-day auction, who fetched $265,000, brought the total of New York-breds selling for six figures up to 15, and the number selling for $200,000 and up to six.

In all 79 New York-breds changed hands at OBS of 103 offered, which includes 10 private sales, for a buyback percentage of 23.3. Although this number is up from last year’s New York-bred 16.7 percent buyback rate at the same sale, the sale overall saw the same year-to-year trend. In 2014 the full sale buyback percentage was 18.2. This year it rose to 22 percent.

The average price for a New York-bred juvenile of $66,759 at OBS rose 4.8 percent over last year’s $63,714 average. The cumulative overall sale average was a sale record $79,455, up 7.4 percent over last year’s record. The New York-bred median of $45,000 was down a tick or two from last year’s $47,000, but equal to the overall sale median, which held steady from last year.

The most marked trend this year for Empire-breds at OBS, which reflects a broader market trend for New York-bred 2-year-olds over the last two years, came at the very top of the spectrum. In 2014, 17 horses brought six figures, with four individuals commanding $200,000 and up, and a single juvenile selling for over $300,000. This year, despite a smaller population of New York-bred participants in the sale (103 offered in 2015, down from 126 offered in 2014), 15 horses cracked six figures, six brought $200,000 and up and three sold for $300,000 and up. The New York-bred sale topper, who fetched $310,000, was a sales coup for New York-based freshman sire Here Comes Ben[1] (McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds[2]). Read more[3].

The New York-bred standout in the sale’s final session was Hip 1148[4], a chestnut Summer Bird colt bred by Fred W. Hertrich III and John D. Fielding who posted a furlong work in :10.2 at the under tack show. The colt sold to Steven Venosa’s SGV Thoroughbreds at the Fasig-Tipton New York-bred preferred yearling sale for $55,000. At OBS Narvick International secured him from SGV Thoroughbreds for $265,000. Summer Bird’s first crop are 3-year-olds of 2015.

Foaled on February 17, 2013, the sale colt is the second foal of a young unraced daughter of Vindication named Homecoming Dance, who is a half-sister to graded stakes performer Milam and issues from the family of Trumpet’s Blare and Albert the Great. Homecoming Dance has a registered New York-bred yearling by Archarcharch and was bred in 2014 to Morning Line.

Endnotes:
  1. Here Comes Ben: http://www.bloodhorse.com/stallion-register/nytb/stallion/130128/here-comes-ben
  2. McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds: http://www.mcmahonthoroughbreds.com/
  3. Read more: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2015/04/23/colts-here-comes-ben-scat-daddy-wed-obs/
  4. Hip 1148: http://obssales.com/aprcatalog/2015/1148.PDF

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2015/04/25/its-a-wrap-obs-spring-15/

Copyright ©2024 New York Thoroughbred Breeders, Inc. News unless otherwise noted.