Aqueduct: Effinex and Cohen just say no to Lasix

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – The eye-catching 6 1/4-length allowance victory by the New York-bred Effinex at Aqueduct on Sunday was special to Russell Cohen, the colt’s breeder, on several levels.

First, as a veterinarian for 27 years and a breeder for nearly as long, Cohen takes great pride in running horses in his stable without medication. Effinex, who is owned by the Tri-Bone Stables of Cohen’s mother, Bernice, does not run on Lasix, and Cohen said that except for one shot of Adequan, a medication that helps maintain cartilage, the horse has never been treated with anything.

[ROAD TO THE KENTUCKY DERBY: Prep races, point standings, replays]

That fact took on even more meaning to Cohen in light of the recent accusations by the People for Ethical Treatment of Animals that trainer Steve Asmussen is mistreating his horses by overusing legal medications.

“I want racing fans and owners to realize that there are a few very talented, honest, caring trainers out here, and there are a few incredibly competent, honest, caring veterinarians who live by their Hippocratic Oath – never do harm,” Cohen said.

Further, Cohen named the horse Effinex because he is a divorced father of three children with whom he has no communication.

“This horse is dedicated to all divorced fathers who are estranged or alienated from their children,” Cohen said.

Lastly, Cohen gets to dream about running Effinex in major races for 3-year-olds, including the $1 million Wood Memorial on April 5 and possibly the Kentucky Derby.

Cohen said Effinex, who is trained by David Smith, is “80 percent” sure to run in the Wood Memorial where he would take on fellow New York-breds Samraat and Uncle Sigh, the one-two finishers in both the Withers and Gotham stakes. Additionally, Cohen said he has paid a late fee of $6,000 to nominate Effinex to the Triple Crown series. He said he had planned to pay the $600 early nomination fee when the first deadline approached on Jan. 25, but forgot.

“I’m middle-aged,” said Cohen, who turns 54 on April 1. “I forget things.”

Effinex is by Mineshaft and out of What a Pear, a horse Cohen bred and Tri-Bone raced a few years ago. What a Pear won her first four starts, including the Busher Stakes by 10 1/4 lengths, before she went off form when attempting to tackle graded company.

In Sunday’s race, Effinex’s third career start, jockey Rosario Montanez had Effinex four wide down the backstretch, three wide around the turn, and four wide in the stretch, and never hit the horse. Effinex ran 1 1/16 miles in a pokey 1:47.18 but did earn a respectable 80 Beyer Speed Figure.

“He can run all day – huge advantage,” Cohen said. “He still acts a little green; he won’t get pushed. Tri-Bone probably won’t know how good he is for another three, four or five months.”

Though Cohen does take pride in running Effinex medication free, he faces a dilemma of giving up a perceived advantage to his Wood rivals who do run on Lasix.

“To quote one of my colleagues, who in a moment of clarity said [Lasix] was a legal performance-enhancer, not being on it is a disadvantage,” Cohen said. “Why give away a chemical advantage? I don’t know what to do. Lasix doesn’t help bleeders; it’s a performance enhancer.”

Cohen was referring to comments made by Dr. James Hunt, a practicing veterinarian whose comments were in a video accompanying PETA’s complaints against Asmussen.