Diversify Hangs on in Commentator

Diversify, the 2-1 favorite, held on in the final strides to win the $200,000 Commentator Stakes for older New York-breds at Belmont Park. The one-mile race, run in 1:34.34 was the grand finale to a day of six stakes for state-breds known as Big Apple Showcase Day. A nose back on the other end of the photo finish was Pat On the Back

Diversify, with Jose Ortiz up, was making his first start since a poor seventh-place finish in the April 21 Charles Town Classic Stakes (G2). Last year the New York-bred won the Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes (G1).

Bred by Fred W. Hertrich III and John D. Fielding, Diversify races for Lauren and Ralph Evans. The 5-year-old horse is trained by Rick Violette Jr.. He is a son of Bellamy Road —Rule One, by Street Cry.

The winner paid $6, $3.90, and $3.20. Pat On the Back paid $4.80 and $3.80. Uncle Sigh in third paid $6.10.

Jewel Can Disco took the early advantage in the one-turn mile, zipping through splits of :22.57 and :45.22 while being chased by Mr. Buff. Ortiz kept Diversify wide and just off the pace. Inching closer, he took command at the head of the lane but then had to dig deep to hold off the determined Pat On the Back.

"I thought there's a good 3 1/2 furlongs, and you could see the 10-horse (Pat On the Back) coming; he was the horse to beat at the 5/16th pole," said Violette. "I was worried about the whole joining the fray. I thought, 'Well, it's a little early,' but Jose (Ortiz) was right, sometimes you got to let the horse do it.

"I thought we won it, then I watched the replay again and 'whoa.' When (Weekend Hideaway) scratched, it actually was a good scratch for us. That led to us to either having to take hold or commit if he had stayed in there, so it worked out well."

Owner Michael Dubb won his third stakes on the card when his Offering Plan, the 4-5 favorite, scored in the $125,000 Kingston Stakes for older New York-breds on the turf. The win came over 9-year-old Kharafa, who was making his 47th career outing.

Offering Plan was 4-5 for good reason: he won the event last year by a length, and was coming into the Kingston off a tough one-length victory on the turf at Keeneland against open company. Besides Dubb, the horse is campaigned by Nantucket Thoroughbred Partners, Michael Caruso's Bethlehem Stables, and Gary Aisquith.

Last on the turn under Javier Castellano, Offering Plan came with a wide move in the lane to get past the entire field.

Trained by Chad Brown, Offering Plan has now won seven of 19 starts. By Spring At Last out of the Street Cry mare Rosalie Road, the 6-year-old horse was bred in New York by C. W. Swann and Cygnet Farm.

"This is a hard-hitting horse, and we debated racing him at Pimlico two weeks ago," Dubb said. "We made the decision to stay home where we'd be even money. That was Chad's wish. Leave everything to Chad, just show up and take pictures.

"One thing I will tell you about the really good trainers like Chad is that they can campaign a horse. They'll get you half a dozen quality starts and leave some soap on the bar, as Woody Stephens used to say. They can campaign them. Occasionally, we get ambitious with this horse, but if we keep him with state-breds, he's supposed to be the boss. This time, I think we made the right decision."

Earlier on the program Dubb on his own with trainer Jason Servis won the Mt. Vernon Stakes with Feeling Bossy, a recent $62,500 claim, and the $125,000 Mike Lee Stakes with $80,000 claim Analyze the Odds.