Tonalist Too Tough in Suburban?

Sporting a 5-4-1-0 record at Belmont which included wins in last year's GI Belmont S. and GI Jockey Club Gold Cup, Shel Evans's Tonalist (Tapit) will take some serious beating in Saturday's GII Suburban H. The Christophe Clement pupil ended his sophomore campaign with a late-on-the-scene fifth in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic, and made a successful comeback when cruising in this venue's one-mile GIII Westchester S. May 2, earning a career-top Beyer Speed Figure of 111. He settled for a good second last time to fellow 'TDN Rising Star' Honor Code (A.P. Indy) in the GI Metropolitan H. June 6, and stretches back out to what might be his optimal distance while shedding the hood. “He wore the blinkers for the Westchester and the Met Mile and he was very sharp,” said Clement. “At a mile-and-a-quarter, he doesn't need to be that sharp. He's been training very well and we are excited about running him.” Tri-Bone Stables's Effinex(Mineshaft) took his first two races this season, including Aqueduct's 10-panel GIII Excelsior S. Apr. 25 over Wednesday's GIII Dominion Day S. winner Red Rifle (Giant's Causeway). Among the favorites for the GII Brooklyn Invitational S. here June 6, Effinex was very headstrong throughout, bolting on the second turn and having to be eased. “I'm not sure what went wrong in his last race,” said trainer Jimmy Jerkens. “He's trained well since then, and we're hoping it was just an anomaly.” Trainer Todd Pletcher has two chances at his first Suburban title. Repole Stable's Coach Inge (Big Brown) annexed the Brooklyn by a neck over last year's GI Travers S. winner V. E. Day (English Channel), while 2013 GI Preakness S. third Mylute (Midnight Lute) annexed an eight-panel optional claimer here May 29 in his first stat since being transferred from Tom Amoss.