Centennial Farms's Wicked Strong (Hard Spun) returns to the site of his biggest triumph and gets more ground to work with in Saturday's GIII Excelsior S. at the Big A. Last year's local GI TwinSpires.com Wood Memorial S. hero was fourth in both the GI Kentucky Derby and GI Belmont S., but soundly defeated Belmont winner Tonalist (Tapit) to return to winning ways in Saratoga's GII Jim Dandy S. in late July. He came out on the wrong side of a photo with fellow Jimmy Jerkens trainee V. E. Day (English Channel) in the GI Travers S. a month later, and skipped the GI Breeders' Cup Classic after clipping heels and losing rider Rajiv Maragh in Belmont's GI Jockey Club Gold Cup Sept. 27. The bay most recently finished fourth, beaten a length by Honor Code (A.P. Indy) in the one-mile GII Gulfstream Park H. Mar. 7.
Jerkens will also saddle Tri-Bones Stables's Effinex (Mineshaft). A 17-1 upset winner of Belmont's Empire Classic H. for New York-breds Oct. 18, the dark bay was fourth behind Red Rifle (Giant's Causeway) in the GII Hawthorne Gold Cup H. in November and again back in restricted company in the inner track's Alex M. Robb S. on New Year's Eve. Effinex enters this off a sharp open optional claiming score going an extended mile on the muddy inner track Mar. 27.
Winning Move Stable's Turco Bravo (Chi) (Caesarion {Ire}) upended the Stymie S. here at 9-1 last out Mar. 22, and was directly following in that heat by Cousin Stephen (Proud Citizen), North Slope (Elusive Quality) and Micromanage(Medaglia d'Oro).
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