Diversify Wires the Whitney

[Wandering Eyes]

DIVERSIFY (g, 5, Bellamy Road–Rule One, by Street Cry {Ire}), after a lengthy weather-related delay, broke like a shot in the GI Whitney S. and never looked back, rolling to another frontrunning score in the slop at Saratoga and making it a clean sweep for ‘TDN Rising Stars’ in the day’s two Grade I events. Last year’s GI Jockey Club Gold Cup hero, the bay was off the board in his next two starts before rebounding with a nose victory in the New York-bred Commentator S. May 28 at Belmont. Devastating his foes with a 6 1/2-length romp in the GII Suburban S. last out there July 7, the gelding was initially scheduled to pass on Saturday’s feature, but was entered by trainer Rick Violette after a sizzling :59 flat (1/48) five-furlong breeze here last Sunday. The race, initially intended to go off at 5:46, was delayed for 45 minutes due to a thunderstorm passing over the track. Once they finally left the blocks, Diversify caught a flier as the 8-5 favorite and quickly established command. Bowling through sharp fractions of :23.22 and :46.50, he got away from his closest chasers into the far turn and entered the stretch in control. Mind Your Biscuits (Posse), stretching out to nine furlongs for the first time, came to call after saving ground on the bend, but was no match for the winner, who splashed home three lengths to the good in 1:49.62. Mind Your Biscuits narrowly held second over longshot Discreet Lover (Repent), completing an all-New York-bred exacta in Saratoga’s most significant older-horse event. Lifetime Record: 15-10-2-0, $2,729,425. O-Lauren & Ralph M. Evans; B-Fred W. Hertrich III & John D. Fielding (NY); T-Richard A. Violette, Jr.

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