Effusive lives up to lofty pedigree in debut at Saratoga

Spendthrift Farm LLC’s homebred 2-year-old filly Effusive had much to live up to with her royal pedigree in her career debut July 18 at Saratoga, and the filly showed potential star power with a gritty 1 ¼-length win in a six-furlong maiden special weight contested over a sloppy racetrack.

Effusive is by Spendthrift’s seven-time champion sire Into Mischief and out of the two-time champion Monomoy Girl.

Breaking from the inside post in the field of seven, Effusive settled in fifth early, then moved up to third as the field rounded the turn, with Cruising Again holding a 2 ½-length lead at the top of the stretch. Shortly after, Effusive was bumped soundly by Key Colony Beach, momentarily slowing her momentum. Recovering quickly, she swung outside and ran past the pacesetter in the final sixteenth to win handily.

“It was a very impressive debut win. Breaking from the rail is not an easy thing to do with a firster. She broke well and they kind of ran away from her a little bit and she got dirt in her face,” trainer Brad Cox said. “It showed a lot for her to continue to run on – her mother was the same way, whatever didn’t go her way didn’t matter, she still crossed the wire first most of the time.”

Cox said Effusive is likely to point to the $300,000 Spinaway (G1) on September 5 at Saratoga.