By Christie DeBernardis
Native New Yorker Effinex (Mineshaft) looks to make his mark on the West Coast as the morning-line favorite in Saturday's GI Santa Anita H. The Tri-Bone Stables colorbearer really came into his own last term starting with a defeat of GISW stablemate Wicked Strong (Hard Spun) in Aqueduct's GIII Excelsior S. last spring. Pulled up in the GII Brooklyn H. a month later, the dark bay beat out MGISW Tonalist (Tapit) by a head in the GII Suburban H. July 4 and finished a respectable fourth behind GI Breeders' Cup Mile hero Liam's Map (Unbridled's Song) next out in the GI Woodward S. Sept. 5. Third to Tonalist in the GI Jockey Club Gold Cup Oct. 3, the Jimmy Jerkens pupil was the only one attempting to run with Horse of the Year American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile) when a respectable, but soundly beaten second in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic Oct. 31. Besting defending champion Hoppertunity (Any Given Saturday) to earn his first Grade I in the Clark H. at Churchill Nov. 27, the 5-year-old will be piloted once again by Hall of Famer Mike Smith, who was aboard for Effinex's last two starts and has won the last three renewals of this test.
“He looks wonderful coming off his layoff,” Smith told the Santa Anita press office. “He seems to have put some weight on, he's training well, he's happy, and got over the track just beautiful Tuesday morning [breezing a bullet half-mile in :47.80]. If that's any indication as to how he's going to run, I guess he should run extremely well.”
Effinex's biggest competition looks like it will come from former East Coast runner Donworth (Tiznow), who recently moved his tack to the Doug O'Neill barn. Picked up by Reddam Racing for $550,000 as part of the Regis Farm dispersal at Keeneland November, the “TDN Rising Star” romped by 11 lengths in his final start for Graham Motion in Delaware's Stanton S. last June. Returning from that long layoff in this venue's GII San Antonio S. Feb. 6, the dark bay was a strong third–beaten by just over a half-length–to Dubai bound Hoppertunity and the reopposing Imperative (Bernardini), who came running late to miss by just a nose last time. That Richard Baltas trainee also finished second to Dortmund (Big Brown) in the GIII Native Diver S. Nov. 28 and to California Chrome (Lucky Pulpit) in the GII San Pasqual S. Jan. 9.
Todd Pletcher drops Starlight Racing and Skychai Racing's General a Rod (Roman Ruler) into the deep end off a 7 1/2-length allowance win in the slop at Gulfstream Jan. 28. Winner of Tampa's Challenger S. last year in his debut for the Pletcher barn, the dark bay was given six months off after a failed effort on grass in the GI Manhattan S and was sixth to stablemate Itsaknockout (Lemon Drop Kid) in his Hallandale return on New Year's Eve prior to his last out success.
The only Grade I winner in this field besides Effinex is Hronis Racing's Hard Aces (Hard Spun), who won the GI Gold Cup at Santa Anita S. last June. Sixth in the GI Pacific Classic, GI Awesome Again S. and Breeders' Cup Classic, the bay was a lackluster fourth in the San Pasqual and an equally dull fifth last time in the San Antonio. His trainer John Sadler also saddles Lanes End Racing's Class Leader (Smart Strike), who enters off a fourth-place finish on turf in the GII San Marcos S. Feb. 6.
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