Jimmy Jerkens is not exactly the Giant Killer his late father was, but Effinex, who bolted and was eased last time in the GII Brooklyn H. on Belmont S. day June 6, was equipped with new hydraulics and found the wire just ahead of last year's GI Belmont S. hero Tonalist in Saturday's Suburban H.
One of the more interestingly named horses in training, Effinex crosssed the wire in front just once in seven starts for trainer David Smith, but has undergone a renaissance under the Jerkens tutelage. Bet down from a 20-1 morning line in the 2014 Albany S., the dark bay closed well to be second and registered a 17-1 upset of his New York-bred elders in the Empire Classic two starts later Oct. 18. Impressive in taking an open second-level allowance–with Coach Inge third–over a muddy Aqueduct inner track Mar. 27, Effinex defeated heavily favored Wicked Strong (Hard Spun) into third when a 3/4-length winner of the GIII Excelsior S. at the Big A Apr. 25, but had his equipment malfunction in the Brooklyn and walked under the wire as Coach Inge narrowly decisioned Effinex's stablemate V. E. Day (English Channel).
The Brooklyn winner disputed the early pace outside of longshot Street Babe (Street Sense), as Tonalist basically fell out of the gate and took up a trailing position behind a suicidal opening sectional of :22.80. The pacesetters slowed it down a bit through the next quarter-mile, but Tonalist was asked to rally into the thick of a still-taxing fraction and was all the way up into third by the time Street Babe called it a day at the half-mile marker. That left Coach Inge alone on the engine, and he took them bravely around the turn, though Effinex was traveling ominously well after steadying off heels around the half-mile pole. Coach Inge managed to carry the lead into the final 200 yards, but Effinex edged past him, then held off Tonalist to score narrowly and, perhaps, fortuitously.
“Today he wore a Houghton bridle, which gives you more control,” Jerkens explained. “But I'm sure he would have been fine with the other bridle; he was a different horse today. Maybe the crowd on Belmont Day got him all worked up, or he was in a sour frame of mind with the long post parade; that might have had something to do with it. He was as kind as could be today, the whole time.”
Effinex could make his next start in the GI Whitney H. at Saratoga Aug. 8 or the GI Woodward S. Sept. 5.
Saturday, Belmont Park
SUBURBAN H.-GII, $490,000, BEL, 7-4, 4yo/up, 1 1/4m, 2:01.55, ft.
1–EFFINEX, 117, c, 4, by Mineshaft
1st Dam: What a Pear (MSW, $161,860), by E Dubai
2nd Dam: Perfect Pear, by Pine Bluff
3rd Dam: Perfect Isn't Easy, by Saratoga Six
O-Tri-Bone Stables; B-Russell S. Cohen (NY); T-James A. Jerkens; J-Junior Alvarado. $275,000. Lifetime Record: 16-6-1-2, $782,250. Werk Nick Rating: B+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Tonalist, 123, c, 4, Tapit–Settling Mist, by Pleasant Colony. ($195,000 RNA Ylg '12 FTSAUG). O-Robert S. Evans; B-Woodslane Farm (KY); T-Christophe Clement. $100,000.
3–Coach Inge, 118, g, 4, Big Brown–Touch too Much, by Holy Bull. ($150,000 2yo '13 OBSMAR). O-Repole Stable; B-Paul Pompa (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher. $60,000.
Margins: HD, 1HF, 11HF. Odds: 6.80, 0.45, 3.70.
Also Ran: Neck 'n Neck, Mylute, Street Babe.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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