Synnefias hopes to carry success across state line
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OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Trainer Panagiotis “Peter” Synnefias hopes his successful summer at Monmouth Park can be a harbinger for the fall and winter at Aqueduct. Synnefias has 15 horses stabled in New York, a number he hopes to increase to 20 to 25, either through the claim box, sales, or by attracting new clients.
Synnefias had 15 wins and 19 seconds from 93 starters at Monmouth Park, a meet highlighted by a pair of stakes wins by Surface to Air, who is currently on a break. Surface to Air was a 2024 claim by Brian Shyda, who races under Premier Racing and was part of the impetus to come to New York.
“He’s the one who took us to Keeneland [in 2024] and said, ‘Hey, let’s spend some money,’ ”said Synnefias, 27, who has claimed about 10 horses in Kentucky over the last two years. “I always had cheaper claimers being at Penn National. We did what we could with what we had. When he wanted to go out and claim some good horses, he got everything started.”
Surface to Air was claimed for $30,000 and won the Grade 3 Monmouth Cup and Grade 3 Iselin this summer. Other clients who have been active at the claim box are Final Turn Racing, headed by James Costabile, and PlayingTheField Racing, led by Jeff Boschwitz. Those partners combined to claim Top Gun Rocket for $40,000.
Top Gun Rocket, who has two wins and a second from five starts since the claim, is one of three horses Synnefias has entered on Thursday’s Aqueduct card. Top Gun Rocket is a contender in the featured second-level allowance.
A son of Into Mischief, Top Gun Rocket had gone nearly two months between starts when he finished second to Pentathlon in this condition going a one-turn mile here on Oct. 24. Friday’s race is at 1 1/8 miles.
“I think he needed the last race, so I’m expecting a little bit more out of him this time, a little bit sharper and stronger finish,” said Synnefias, who added that the mile and an eighth “is great for him. He’s the type of horse that only kicks into gear late. The only thing is there’s only one speed horse in the race.”
Synnefias was referring to Certified Loverboy, who does loom the primary speed, though he is winless in six starts at 1 1/8 miles.
Emirates Road won a first-level allowance here by five lengths in February, a race in which he earned a 105 Beyer Speed Figure. In his lone start since, Emirates Road finished seventh in a starter allowance.
Later on the card, Synnefias sends out Sight to See in a $17,500 claiming race. Synnefias and Final Turn/PlayingTheField Racing claimed her out of her last start for $17,500. Synnefias noted that she ran a winning race for $40,000 at Keeneland but did not run well in New York in three tries for Rick Dutrow.
“The last two races don’t scream ‘claim me,’ ” Synnefias said. “If we can get a little back form out of her, I think she has ability to build on. She’s been training well. We changed up a few things on her equipment.”
In Friday’s first race, Synnefias sends out Blame the Banker, a 3-year-old daughter of Goldencents who has raced mostly on turf but is entered on dirt in a starter allowance. Blame the Banker finished second in a Monmouth allowance, a race run over a sloppy track.
“If she doesn’t take to the dirt, she’ll just get laid up for the wintertime and get a little break until next season,” Synnefias said.
He added that he will let the winter determine where he goes this spring. If things go well, he’ll stay in New York. If not, he’ll relocate.
“The results have to be there,” he said. “So far, I’ve been really happy with what I’ve run here. I had one bad run. Everything else has been running very good.”
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