Diversify Proves Unstoppable in Suburban
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Photo: Coglianese Photos
Diversify wins the Suburban Stakes at Belmont Park
With a gate-to-wire performance that wowed the Belmont Park crowd, Diversify left his competition in the dust in the $700,000 Suburban Stakes (G2) July 7 and won by 6 1/2 lengths.
The 132nd running of the Suburban Stakes figured to be a bit more of a challenge.
In an 10-horse field brimming with talent that included the likes of last year's Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1) winner Tapwrit and multimillionaire fan favorite Hoppertunity, the 1 1/4-mile test was supposed to be a hard-scrambling fight to the finish.
With a quick break under jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. the 5-year-old Bellamy Road gelding firmly established his spot in the lead and settled into a comfortable rhythm. War Story settled behind in second as Zanotti was positioned in third.
With little pressing from the rest of the pack, Diversify slowly widened his lead from one length to two, and to 3 1/2 as he reached six furlongs in 1:09.65.
With a five-length lead rounding the bend for home, the bay gelding was all alone when he reached the eighth pole and sailed across the finish line in 1:59.84.
"I was surprised that we were pressed by horses other than Dr. Dorr," said winning trainer Rick Violette. "We were meant to be aggressive, and Irad told me when he realized it was Zanotti and War Story, he kind of just stepped on the gas. He did it pretty comfortably. I think this is his best race ever. He beat some nice horses, withstood some serious pressure (and) fast fractions, and he obviously loves Belmont."
The Lieutenant—a half brother to Triple Crown winner Justify—finished second, with Discreet Lover another two lengths behind in third. After bumping into Take Your Guns out of the gate, favored Hoppertunity saved ground and swung four wide in the strech to get up for fourth in a photo finish.
Diversify, who has never finished worse than second in eight starts at Belmont, returned $14, $8, and $6.40. The Lieutenant paid $24 and $11, and Discreet Lover paid $16.40 to show.
Violette was enthusiastic about the prospects for Diversify's next start.
"We have (four) weeks to the Whitney (G1). … There's also the Woodward (G1) four weeks later in the meet," the trainer said of potential starts at Saratoga Race Course. "We'll think about the fall as well. We would love to do the Whitney, but we'll see how he comes back from this effort."
Bred in New York by Breeders' Cup chairman Fred Hertrich III and his partner John Fielding, Diversify was purchased by Lauren and Ralph Evans for $210,000 from WinStar Racing at the 2016 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale. He has a 9-2-0 record in 14 starts, with earnings of $1,309,425.