Effinex, who finished second to American Pharoah in the Breeders' Cup Classic and went on to win the Grade 1 Clark Handicap, has been named named New York's Horse of the Year. The state’s 2015 honors were presented at the New York Thoroughbred Breeders annual awards banquet, sponsored by the New York Breeding and Development Fund, Monday night in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Effinex, who has earned more than $2.2 million, was bred by Russell Cohen and is campaigned by his family racing operation Tri-Bone Stables. Effinex also earned honors as New York's champion older dirt male.

There is no relation between racing’s “Jones boys,” former Kentucky Gov. Brereton C. Jones and trainer Larry Jones.

On paper, anyway.

“We all tell everyone we’re cousins now,” Larry Jones said. “We’ve been at this long enough. We’re family.”

Larry Jones saddled his 1,000th winner with He’ll Pay, a colt whom Brereton Jones co-bred and owns, in the $100,000 Rushaway Stakes on Saturday at Turfway Park. That milestone victory was just the latest in the long string of successes for the trainer and his longtime client.

Nyquist’s impressive victory in Saturday’s Grade 1 Florida Derby all but assures that the unbeaten champion 2-year-old male of 2015 will start as the favorite for the Kentucky Derby. Nyquist’s Florida Derby victory, however, will not remove the doubts many pedigree pundits have raised about whether or not there is sufficient stamina in his pedigree for him to stay the 10-furlong Kentucky Derby trip.

A massive bonus offered by Fasig-Tipton to its sale graduates paid major dividends in its first year – both for Gulfstream Park and the horse in question.

Justwhistledixie, the dam of Mohaymen, delivered a full brother to her Kentucky Derby contender on March 29 at Clearsky Farm in Kentucky.

The International Grading and Race Planning Advisory Committee approved the promotion of Hong Kong to Part I of The International Cataloguing Standards Book, while South Korea has been promoted to Part II.

Both promotions were ratified by the Society of International Thoroughbred Auctioneers. The changes take effect in Hong Kong on Sept. 1 and in Korea on July 1.

Willet, a five-time stakes winning New York-bred mare, has been retired, said trainer and part-owner Jimmy Iselin on Wednesday afternoon.

Iselin said that Willet, 8, will be bred to either American Pharoah or Candy Ride.

Willet, a daughter of Jump Start, had a record of 10-9-7 from 31 starts and earned $865,900. She won five stakes, though was unable to win a graded event. The closest she came was a second to Nefertini in the Grade 2 Go for Wand at Aqueduct in 2012. In 2013, she finished third in the Grade 1 Ballerina.

Fellowship

Awesome of Course – Go Girlfriend Go, by Demidoff

The Florida-bred Fellowship will face a tall order in his home state’s biggest race, the Grade 1, $1 million Florida Derby on Saturday. The race has attracted early Kentucky Derby favorites Mohaymen and Nyquist, but even a third-place finish would put Fellowship in the starting gate at Churchill Downs should his connections choose to pursue that route.

Three of the Kentucky Derby’s most imposing prospects – the champion Nyquist, Rebel Stakes winner Cupid, and Louisiana Derby winner Gun Runner – are graduates of Niall Brennan’s training program.

Sound familiar?

The Ocala, Fla., horseman was thought to have reached a career high-water mark in 2013 with a trio of alumni in the Derby gate. Winner Orb and third-place Revolutionary gave Brennan an immediate spike in his résumé, while pacesetter and 12th-place finisher Palace Malice went on to win the Belmont Stakes.

Two more mares from one of the world’s most prominent breeders reportedly have been added to what is already an outstanding first book for Triple Crown winner American Pharoah.

The Racing Post first reported that Ridasiyna and Dalayna, based in the U.S. for the Aga Khan’s broodmare band, were booked to the champion, standing at Coolmore’s Ashford Stud in Kentucky.

Ridasiyna, a daughter of Motivator, won the Group 1 Prix de l’Opera and Group 3 Prix Chloe in France. Her oldest foal is a yearling colt by War Front.