| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sunday, December 28, 2014
Contact: Najja Thompson
nthompson@nyrainc.com
(718) 659 - 2244
Effinex leads formidable Alex M. Robb field
OZONE PARK, N.Y. - The final stakes race for 2014 at Aqueduct Racetrack, the $100,000 Alex M. Robb for New York-breds on Wednesday, December 31, features a formidable field of contenders looking for one last win before the New Year. Effinex, a 3-year-old Mineshaft colt trained by Jimmy Jerkens for Tri-Bone Stables, turned around his 2014 campaign with the addition of blinkers.
He made his debut with the new equipment in the $300,000 Empire Classic on October 18 at Belmont Park and won by a neck, then was fourth in the Hawthorne Gold Cup Handicap on November 29 when he encountered a difficult trip after being bumped at the break.
With two wins from three career starts on the Big A's inner track, Effinex looks to return to familiar surroundings as a serious contender, and is 7-2 on the morning line with jockey Angel Arroyo aboard.
Five-year-old Awesome Vision enters off a six-length victory in a New-York-bred allowance race at Aqueduct on December 4. Owned by West Point Thoroughbreds and trained by Tom Albertrani, Awesome Vision is looking to pick up his second win of the year after encountering a string of troubled trips and off tracks in his previous four starts.
Leaving from post position 2, Manuel Franco is up for the Awesome Again colt who is 4-1 on the morning line.
The David Jacobson-trained gelding Big Business, owned by Gary Barber, returns to face fellow New York-breds off an ambitious start in the Grade 1 Cigar Mile, in which he traveled three-wide to finish fourth. In five out of six New York-bred races this year, Big Business has yet to win but has come in second five times.
With jockey Fernando Jara aboard, Big Business will leave from post 1 and is the 5-2 morning-line favorite.
Readthebyline, a 5-year old son of Read the Footnotes is 9-2 on the morning line and will leave from post position 4. After earning a 98 Beyer Speed Figure in his last start, the New York Stallion Series Thunder Rumble on November 22 at Aqueduct Racetrack, Readthebyline will stretch back out to two turns under jockey Jose Ortiz while making his second start since being claimed by trainer Michelle Nevin and owner Vincent Scuderi.
Rounding out the field are Beautyinthepulpit, cutting back to 1 1/16 miles following a third-place finish in the Richard W. Small stakes at Laurel Park; West Hills Giant, second to Readthebyline in the Thunder Rumble; Gridley Here, who has collected two wins from seven starts this year; and Sinistra.
The field for the $100,000 Alex M. Robb Stakes:
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