NY-Breds Headline Whitney

[Wandering Eyes]

After airing by 6 1/2 lengths in Belmont’s GII Suburban S. July 7 with a gaudy 110 Beyer Speed Figure, ‘TDN Rising Star’ Diversify (Bellamy Road) looks like the one to beat in Saturday’s GI Whitney S. at Saratoga, a ‘Win and You’re In’ for the GI Breeders’ Cup Classic.

The 2017 GI Jockey Club Gold Cup S. winner bounced out of that effort so well-he fired a bullet five-furlong move in :59 (1/48) at the Spa July 29-trainer Rick Violette, Jr. decided to ditch his original plan of awaiting the GI Woodward S. Sept. 1. He is the 7-5 morning-line favorite.

“I was very concerned after the Suburban. He had run such a huge race that I thought that four weeks might be too quick,” Violette said. “But he kept making a liar out of me. He ate well, trained well and breezed awfully well on Sunday. Sometimes, when your horse is doing good, you’re supposed to run.”

Fellow Empire-bred for the ages Mind Your Biscuits (Posse), a two-time G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen winner, makes his highly anticipated route debut. The chestnut fell just a nose short in a thrilling renewal of the GI Runhappy Metropolitan H. on the GI Belmont S. undercard last time.

“I expect him to be much closer with Diversify coming drawn out in the six, and [they’re] giving us six pounds. It’s a short run into the first turn, and if Diversify gets hung wide, he gets hung wide,” trainer Chad Summers said. “I’m as confident as I can be. Everything he’s always shown me over his entire career is that he can do it, and until he can’t, I’m not going to think he can’t.”

Tapwrit (Tapit), a well-beaten fifth as the 3-1 favorite in the Suburban, looks for his first victory since last year’s GI Belmont S.

Backyard Heaven (Tizway), a breakthrough winner of Churchill’s GII Alysheba S. May 4, looks to rebound after a disappointing sixth as the 4-5 chalk in the GI Stephen Foster H. June 16.

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