Effinex outshines stablemate Wicked Strong in Excelsior

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Wicked Strong and Effinex are both 4-year-olds trained by Jimmy Jerkens. Last year at 3, Wicked Strong was the better colt, winning the Wood Memorial and the Jim Dandy. Effinex's biggest win came in the Empire Classic against older New York-breds.

For the moment, the pecking order is reversed.

Effinex launched a powerful rally on Saturday at Aqueduct to win the $200,000 Excelsior Stakes by three-quarters of a length over pacesetting Red Rifle. Wicked Strong pressed the pace outside Red Rifle in the 1 1/4-mile Grade 3 race but was outfinished and ended up third, 2 1/4 lengths behind Red Rifle.

Effinex had a trying campaign last year, running 12 times and facing older horses on six occasions. In his final start of the year, he finished fourth in the Alex M. Robb Stakes on Dec. 31.

"After he came up a little lackluster on New Year's Eve I didn't see any sense knocking him out by running him over the winter," Jerkens said after the Excelsior. "We gave him a break in order to give him a shot at becoming a better horse."

The time off appears to have done Effinex good. In his March 27 return, he dominated open second-level optional-claiming horses to win by 3 1/2 lengths. His Excelsior win establishes him as a legitimate handicap horse, one who is not restricted to statebred competition.

Jerkens doesn't have a next race picked out for Effinex, a son of Mineshaft, but there are plenty of spots on the schedule. Jerkens noticed after the Excelsior that Effinex had "hit his pastern pretty good."

"He also keeps losing a rear shoe," he said. "We're going to have to figure out what to do about that."

Effinex paid $16 to win as the second choice in the six-horse Excelsior behind 3-5 Wicked Strong. He was ridden by Angel Arroyo and was timed in 2:02.16

Red Rifle, who last fall won the Hawthorne Gold Cup, set fractions of 24.55 seconds, 49.23, 1:12.70, and 1:36.89, turned back Wicked Strong, and then failed to last in a determined effort.

Wicked Strong seemed to be just finding his best stride at the end of his first start of the year, the one-mile Gulfstream Park Handicap, finishing fourth, beaten one length by Honor Code. Cigar Mile winner Private Zone was second and Valid was third.

On Saturday, Wicked Strong sat just off the flank of Red Rifle but lacked the needed punch when asked by jockey Rajiv Maragh.

"I had him right where I wanted," Maragh said. "He just came up a little flat. It's disappointing, you know."

Jerkens said he was a little concerned about stretching Wicked Strong out from a one-turn mile to 1 1/4 miles around two turns.

"Obviously he's not the horse right now that he was last summer," he said. "I was a little worried about running him a mile and a quarter off just one race. You get him ready against those fast horses and then you have to go back and slow him down for the next race. Don't worry, he'll be back."