Diversify Gets Season Started in Charles Town Classic

One perk that comes with campaigning a good gelding is the lack of pressure to run in certain spots for the sake of bolstering a career at stud. So even though some big money prizes were dangling this year for a grade 1 winner like Diversify, the only thing trainer Rick Violette felt beholden to was giving the 5-year-old son of Bellamy Road  the time he needed to come into hand.

"He's a gelding, so that gives us the ability to run him anywhere we think he fits, and that's a great asset," Violette said. "We follow his lead."

After toying with the $16 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1) in January or the $10 Dubai World Cup Sponsored By Emirates Airline (G1) in March, it was the bullring at Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races that won out for the gelding's 2018 debut. Lauren and Ralph Evans' charge is the favorite in the field of seven for the $1.2 million Charles Town Classic Stakes (G2) contested around three turns at 1 1/8 miles April 21.

It's been some time since Diversify has been in a competitive setting. After winning the Oct. 7 Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes (G1) in his first try against graded company, the New York-bred bypassed the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) at Del Mar to point for the Nov. 24 Clark Handicap presented by Norton Healthcare (G1).

Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. said his charge never got comfortable over the Churchill Downs main track during his fourth-place effort that evening, and after Diversify emerged with some soreness, Violette decided to give the gelding a deserved rest following an eight-race campaign in 2017.

"Nothing was really straightforward," Violette said. "The Clark beat him up a little bit. He was body sore, he dropped a little weight … so we decided to back off a bit. He ran eight times last year, and they were all hard, hard races. He gives it his all every time he shows up.

"We were flirting with the Pegasus, and the stars just didn't align for us there. We were looking at the (Dubai) World Cup, but I really kind of ran out of time to get him ready to go a mile and a quarter going halfway across the world. So then we settled our sights on Charles Town."

The Charles Town Classic was originally part of Diversify's 2017 itinerary, but his form at this point last year led to other plans. When he finished seventh in the March 12 Stymie Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack—the only time he has been worse than fourth in 11 career starts—Violette backed off and regrouped with his front-running protégé. After getting on track with a couple stakes wins against state-bred company, Diversify took full advantage when his rivals let him have things all his way in the Jockey Club Gold Cup, and he led gate-to-wire in the 1 1/4-mile test.

"The better he got, the more challenging we picked his races," Violette said. "He's a big horse but he's very handy, and he's run well fresh in the past. But he needs to run really well coming off the bench Saturday. If he doesn't bring his 'A' game, he's going to get beat."

Ortiz, aboard for Diversify's last four starts, once again has the call on the 8-5 morning-line favorite.

Back for a second go in the Charles Town Classic is Imaginary Stables and Glenn Ellis' War Story, who finished third in the 2017 edition of the race, beaten just a half-length for the top spot.

Trained by Jorge Navarro, the 6-year-old Northern Afleet  gelding hasn't shied away from top-level competition in a career that's seen him bank nearly $2.3 million in earnings. War Story notched his biggest victory in his first start after the 2017 Charles Town Classic when he won the June 10 Brooklyn Invitational Stakes (G2).

After a fourth-place finish in the 2017 Breeders' Cup Classic, War Story ended up 10th in the Pegasus World Cup before rebounding to win when given class relief in the Challenger Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs.

One who could challenge Diversify for the lead in the Charles Town Classic is Afleet Willy, who enters off a pair of impressive stakes wins at Laurel Park in the Native Dancer Stakes and the John B. Campbell Stakes.

"That is another very fast, nice horse," Violette said of Afleet Willy. "He's a legit speed horse, and how they break will be key. Speed is obviously an asset at Charles Town, but stupid speed is rarely an asset."

Entries: Charles Town Classic S. (G2)

Hollywood Casino At Charles Town Races, Saturday, April 21, 2018, Race 11

• Grade II
• 1 1/8m
• Dirt
• $1,200,000
• 4 yo's & up
• 5:36 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Fear the Cowboy (KY)	Luis Negron	118	Efren Loza, Jr.	9/2
2	2You're to Blame (KY)	Joe Bravo	118	Todd A. Pletcher	8/1
3	3Discreet Lover (FL)	J. D. Acosta	120	Uriah St. Lewis	10/1
4	4Something Awesome (ON)	Edgar S. Prado	120	Jose Corrales	8/1
5	5War Story (KY)	Javier Castellano	118	Jorge Navarro	5/2
6	6Diversify (NY)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	118	Richard A. Violette, Jr.	8/5
7	7Afleet Willy (KY)	Jomar Torres	118	Claudio A. Gonzalez	12/1