NYRA/Susie Raisher
By Sarah Mace
Lauren and Ralph M. Evans’ Diversify, by New York-based sire Bellamy Road (Dutchess Views Farm), delivered a memorable performance at the Spa on the afternoon of the Great American Eclipse, posting an absolutely dominant double-digit-length victory in the nine-furlong Evan Shipman Stakes for older New York-breds.
The early scratches of Royal Posse and Ostrolenka reduced the field of the Evan Shipman to four horses, but it probably wouldn’t have mattered if there had been twelve in the gate on Monday. Diversify was just that good.
A heavy 1-2 favorite at post time, Diversify broke running from his outside post under Irad Ortiz, Jr., cleared the field in short order and opened up two lengths on Governor Malibu, Good Luck Gus and Papa Shot for the trip around clubhouse turn.
Clocking the first quarter-mile in 23.59 and half in 47.35, Diversify continued to enjoy a comfortable two-length lead along the backstretch and through the far turn. As the gelding posted a 1:11.09 six furlongs and straightened away for the dash home, Governor Malibu in second was already under a vigorous ride.
Asked for a little more in upper stretch, Diversify opened up four lengths, then ran off the proverbial screen, ultimately crossing the wire 11 1/2 lengths ahead of Governor Malibu. Papa Shot and Good Luck Gus finished well back in third and fourth. The final time for the 1 1/8 miles was a very fast 1:47.48. [VIDEO REPLAY]
Ortiz, Jr. seemed to feel that Diversify was completely within himself in posting the blowout victory. “He’s not that kind of horse that wants to go [a half-mile in] ;50 [seconds]. You let him go, he’s got a huge stride and I knew he’d respond. A modest pace, :47 or :48, that’s good for him. I was cruising [and] I was so comfortable. When I asked him today, he was all business. He responded so good.”
Beaming in the winner’s circle, trainer Rick Violette said, “It was super. He can wait on horses, and that’s why Irad kept busy on him, because a couple of times in the snow, he kind of went into cruise control and had plenty left.”
NYRA/Chelsea Durand
Diversify was making his first start after winning the Saginaw stakes on July 2. Briefly “out of his feed tub” in the interim, he signaled to his conditioner that he needed a little more time as Violette toyed with the idea of trying him on turf. Violette’s patience and a return to Plan A — a dirt start without experimenting on the turf for now — paid off.
“It seems like his more brilliant races have come with a little bit of space and he ran all the way to the wire today, said Violette. “When they went :47-and-change, I thought ‘this is pretty cool.’ He just loped around there and looked pretty comfortable.”
Continued Violette, “This win is awesome. I thought he had it in him. I was so disappointed with his mile-and-eighth race at Aqueduct [seventh in the Stymie on March 12]. I was going to use that as a launching pad for Charles Town. He didn’t show up. He was done at the three-eighths pole that day, so that set the long-term planning back. Fortunately, we had some allowances races available. A lot of times winning helps their psyche as well as the trainer’s.”
Bred by Fred W. Hertrich III and John D. Fielding and foaled at Majestic View Farms in Gardiner, Diversify graduated from the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred preferred yearling sale, where he fetched $150,000 from Maverick racing.
Unraced at two, Diversify opened his account in 2016 with four straight front-running victories in routes earning a “TDN Rising Star” designation after September 22 allowance win for WinStar Farm LLC. He was then purchased by Lauren and Ralph Evans as a racing prospect at Keeneland November for $210,000 and the couple opted to stay with the gelding’s original trainer Violette.
On March 12 Diversify turned in the lone poor performance of his career, finishing a well-beaten seventh in the 9-furlong Stymie, his stakes debut. The gelding rebounded with an open allowance win at Belmont on April 30, missed winning the Commentator Stakes by a nose to Weekend Hideaway on May 29 and won the Saginaw stakes on July 2. The gelding’s record now stands at nine wins, and two seconds from nine races with $325,425 in earnings.
