Do Hertrich and Fielding Have Another Diversify?

Diversify, the multiple grade 1 winner bred by Fred W. Hertrich III and John D. Fielding, is one of the poster boys for New York's rich Thoroughbred Breeding and Development Fund program.

Trained by the late Rick Violette, the gelding is a son of Bellamy Road —who stood in Kentucky when the now 6-year-old was conceived, but has since been relocated to New York. Diversify was sold by Taylor Made Sales Agency for $150,000 at the 2014 Fasig-Tipton New York-Bred Yearling Sale and was subsequently acquired by Ralph and Lauren Evans for $210,000 from WinStar Racing at the 2016 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale.

The gelding won 10 of 16 starts, including the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) and Whitney Stakes (G1), en route to earning nearly $2 million, and was honored as New York's Horse of the Year and champion older horse for 2018.

Buyers looking for the next Diversify may want to consider the flight of horses consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency to this year's New York-Bred Sale Aug. 11-12 on behalf of Hertrich and/or Fielding. Of the nine in the group, six were bred by Hertrich and Fielding and three by Hertrich alone.

Hertrich, who operates Watercress Farm in Paris, Ky., and has a large broodmare band producing offspring that appear in many auction rings throughout North America, has been a stalwart supporter of the New York-bred program, which will offer some $60 million in incentive awards this year.

"He really likes to breed 15 mares a year in New York," said Stuart Angus of Taylor Made Sales Agency, who previously managed Watercress. "We have a couple of real stars in this year's consignment."

Hip 559 is a colt by Constitution , who leads sires with first foals racing in 2019. The colt was produced from the winning Super Saver  mare Polly Freeze, a half sister to three stakes winners, including multiple Korean champion Cheongdam Dokki and multiple grade 3 winner Gouldings Green.

"He is one of the top 10 horses on the grounds," Angus said, adding that Text Dont Call, the 2-year-old first foal out of Polly Freeze, recently finished third in maiden special weight company at Del Mar. "(Hip 559) is a good, athletic colt by a hot sire and with a lot of blue sky in the pedigree."

Hip 610 is a bay colt by Quality Road , the second leading sire in North America, and is out of the Pulpit mare Sister Superior, a half sister to multiple stakes winner Akilina, the dam of two stakes winners, and to the dam of Xpressbet Florida Derby (G1) winner Audible.

"For Fred to take that mare to foal her out with that kind of sire power is pretty special," Angus said.

Angus said Hip 425, a son of The Factor  and the first foal produced from the winning Midshipman  mare First Salute, "is a really good-moving horse" that should prove appealing to pinhookers. "I think we will get a wide variety of buyers on him."

While Angus and breeders Hertrich and Fielding have confidence in their New York-bred offerings, only time will tell if there is another Diversify in the group.