NYRA/Coglianese Photos
By Sarah Mace
Chester and Mary Broman’s homebred Can You Diggit has been knocking on the door of a stakes victory all year. On Monday he managed to break through that door when he won Saratoga’s featured $100,000 Evan Shipman Stakes at Saratoga with a final surge in the shadow of the wire for trainer Jimmy Jerkens.
The 1 1/8-mile contest for New York-breds three and up attracted a small but highly competitive field. Drawn originally with eight horses, the group was whittled down by scratches when Papa Shot, Hit It Once More and Winston’s Chance, who were cross-entered in a matching feature at Finger Lakes — the Genesee Valley Breeders’ Stakes — opted try their luck in Farmington. Hit It Once More won the Genesee Valley.
Can You Diggit’s near (and relatively near) misses coming into the Evan Shipman have piled up this year. The 4-year-old Tiznow colt rolled out a trio of runner-up finishes in the Alex M. Robb in January, Haynesfield in February and a second-level state-bred allowance in March. In April he won at the same level going nine furlongs, then came back to finish fourth in the Commentator in May. Freshened until August 3, he finished third in an open allowance in the mud.
Breaking from post two under Junior Alvarado as the 6-1 fourth choice in the betting, Can You Diggit settled in fourth a just off the rail, letting second choice Control Group and 8-1 Wine Not battle it out for the lead through an opening quarter in 23.95 and half in 48.44.
SV Photography
Cruising along comfortably in the two-path along the backstretch two lengths behind the dueling leaders, Can You Diggit was shaken up midway around the far turn and swung out six-wide into the stretch where he set his sights on the leaders. Meanwhile Control Group was defending his lead against a new challenger, Pat On the Back.
Passing Wine Not in upper stretch, Can You Diggit drew even with the top pair in the closing sixteenth. With a final surge he secured the win by a neck. Pat On the Back got the place, 1 1/4 lengths clear of Control Group in third, followed by Wine Not and favored Twisted Tom, who was not a factor. After a mile in 1:36.98, the final time for nine furlongs over the fast going was 1:49.93. [VIDEO REPLAY]
“He always runs good, but it seems like I [was] always missing something to get him to the wire,” said Junior Alvarado, aboard for the fourth time. “It’s a little hard to get him going, but today he was better than ever. He got going, and he got us to the winner’s’ circle.”
Jerkens concurred that this stakes victory was overdue. “This horse has been knocking on the door,” the trainer said. “He certainly deserved a win. He always makes a move towards the end of races and I thought if the pace was honest and he could save some ground, he would have a big chance with the smaller field and he’d come and get him.”
Added Jerkens, “Junior did a great job on him. He put him in a perfect spot in the stretch and he had another gear to get home after that. I think this is ideal distance. With his style, it benefits him.”
The trainer also had words of appreciation for the Bromans. “[Chester Broman]’s been so great for the game for so long. He’s winding down a little bit and selling his younger horses, but owners like that are dream to train for, and whenever you win for them, it’s just an extra bonus.”
Can You Diggit, whose record now stands at four wins, six seconds and three thirds from 19 starts with $373,555 in earnings, is a third-generation product of the Bromans’ breeding program. His second dam is Broman homebred Seeking the Ante (Seeking the Gold), who won Grade 2 Nassau County Breeders’ Cup S. and earned $392,830. Her first foal Mineralogist by Mineshaft was a 4-time stakes winner and bankrolled $270,550. Can You Diggit is Mineralogist’s second foal.
Mineralogist currently has a juvenile colt by Desert Party named Sahara Sand N Sun who is currently in training at Belmont Park and foaled a Hard Spun filly this year. She has been bred back to Tiznow.
