Effinex Wins G1 Clark Handicap (Churchill Downs/Reed Palmer Photography}
By Sarah Mace
Grade 1 winner and $2.2 million-earner Effinex, bred by Dr. Russell Cohen and campaigned by his family racing operation Tri-Bone Stables, has been voted New York’s 2015 Horse of the Year. Mark Vondrasek’s Eklektikos Stable LLC, breeder of La Verdad and Hot City Girl, was named the state’s top breeder. Their dam Noble Fire was selected as the Champion Broodmare.
The honors were announced at the annual Awards Banquet of the New York Thoroughbred Breeders, Inc. (NYTB) held on April 4, 2015 at the Saratoga National Golf Club in Saratoga Springs, New York. The event, sponsored by the New York Breeding and Development Fund, was emceed by Richard Migliore, former leading New York jockey and currently a broadcast analyst for the New York Racing Association, Inc. The New York-bred divisional champions and horse of the year were chosen by a ballot of New York turf writers, handicappers, chart callers and racing analysts conducted by NYTB.
In addition to being voted Horse of the Year, Effinex picked up the hardware for Champion Older Dirt Male. The other multiple honoree of the night was Eclipse champion female sprinter La Verdad, who was voted Champion Female Sprinter and Champion Older Dirt Female. Repeat honorees were Lubash in the male turf division and Palace as Champion Male Sprinter. Upstart, voted top New York-bred juvenile in 2014, won the 3-year-old male division in 2015.
Linda Rice was the top-earning trainer of New York-breds for the third year in a row, while the hot-handed Jose Ortiz repeated as the top jockey for state-breds by earnings.
The evening’s program was kicked off this year by two special presentations: a Lifetime Achievement Award to past NYTB President Barry Ostrager and a Thoroughbred Charities Award of Merit to ReRun, Inc.
A complete list of New York’s 2015 equine and human honorees follows:
Horse of the Year, Champion Older Dirt Male: Effinex
DK B/, H, foaled April 15, 2011 (Mineshaft – What a Pear, by E Dubai)
Breeder: Dr. Russell S. Cohen
Owner: Tri-Bone Stables
Trainer: James A. Jerkens
Champion Female Sprinter, Champion Older Dirt Female: La Verdad
B, M, foaled April 29, 2010 (Yes It’s True – Noble Fire, by Hook and Ladder)
Breeder: Eklektikos Stable LLC
Owner: Lady Sheila Stable
Trainer: Linda Rice
Champion Two-Year-Old Male: Flexibility
B, C, foaled February 26, 2013 (Bluegrass Cat – Santa Vindi, by Vindication)
Breeder: WinStar Farm, LLC
Owner: Klaravich Stables, Inc. and William H. Lawrence
Trainer: Chad C. Brown
Champion Two-Year-Old Filly: Frosty Margarita
DK B/, F, foaled April 25, 2013 (Frost Giant – Mango Margarita, by Not For Love)
Breeder/Owner: Gabrielle Farm
Trainer: Rudy R. Rodriguez
Champion Three-Year-Old Male: Upstart
DK B/, R, foaled April 13, 2012 (Flatter – Party Silks, by Touch Gold)
Breeder: Mrs. Gerald A. Nielsen
Owner: Ralph M. Evans and WinStar Farm LLC
Trainer: Richard A. Violette, Jr.
Champion Three-Year-Old Filly: Hot City Girl
CH, F, foaled March 2, 2012 (City Zip – Noble Fire, by Hook and Ladder)
Breeder: Eklektikos Stable LLC
Owner: Lady Sheila Stable
Trainer: Linda Rice
Champion Turf Male: Lubash
B, H, foaled February 24, 2007 (Freud – Nasty Cure, by Cure the Blues)
Breeder: Aliyuee Ben J Stable Inc.
Owner: Aliyu Ben J Stables
Trainer: Christophe Clement
Champion Turf Female: Invading Humor
DK B/, M, foaled March 28, 2010 (Invasor (ARG) – Very Funny, by Distorted Humor)
Breeder: Dr. James Randall Mcglinn
Owner: Bloodlines Racing Partnerships
Trainer: Bruce N. Levine
Champion Male Sprinter: Palace
B, H, foaled April 1, 2009 (City Zip – Receivership, by End Sweep)
Breeder: The Peter J. Callahan Revocable Trust Dated 2/28/02
Owner: Antonino Miuccio
Trainer: Linda Rice
Broodmare of the Year: Noble Fire (Hook and Ladder), dam of La Verdad/Hot City Girl
Breeder of the Year: Eklektikos Stable LLC
Trainer of the Year: Linda Rice
Jockey of the Year: Jose Ortiz
Lifetime Achievement Award: Barry Ostrager
Thoroughbred Charities of America Award of Merit: ReRun, Inc.
