Heading into last October's GI Jockey Club Gold Cup, Lauren and Ralph Evans's 'TDN Rising Star' Diversify (Bellamy Road) was a relative unknown on the national racing scene. He took care of that with a game, wire-to-wire victory in the annual Belmont Fall Championship meet centerpiece, and a little less than a year later, he returns to defend his title as one of the leaders in the handicap division.
Passing on a start in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic after his Belmont heroics, the gelding threw in uncharacteristic clunkers in back-to-back races, finishing fourth at 7-5 in the GI Clark H. and last at 6-5 in the GII Charles Town Classic in his seasonal debut Apr. 21. He bounced back with a narrow victory in the New York-bred Commentator S. May 28, but proved he was back in true top form with a 6 1/2-length tour de force in the track-and-trip GII Suburban S. July 7. Entered last-minute in the GI Whitney S. Aug. 4 at Saratoga, the bay produced another convincing tally by 3 1/2 lengths. Off since then, he returns to the track where he boasts six wins and two seconds in eight starts with a pair of identical :58 4/5 bullet five-furlong breezes Sept. 14 and 21.
“The Whitney was a last-minute decision, no question, but we went there because he was doing so well and everything was exceptional going into it,” said trainer Rick Violette. “Skipping the Woodward basically gave us another couple weeks to let him chill a little bit, refuel his tank. It gave us extra time to not really rest, but feel out the horse and get us back to our best race. There's a lot of marbles on the table. A big race is a big race and there's some nice horses in there.”
The more intriguing challenger is Coolmore's Mendelssohn (Scat Daddy). Romping by 18 1/2 lengths in the G2 UAE Derby Mar. 31 at Meydan, the $3-million Keeneland September buy finished last in the GI Kentucky Derby and third as the favorite in the GIII Dwyer S. before bouncing back with a good second at 13-1 in the GI Runhappy Travers S. last out Aug. 25.
Another UAE Derby champion who came up empty in the Kentucky Derby who will try his luck against Diversify is Godolphin Racing's Thunder Snow (Helmet {Aus}). Kept overseas after bucking at the start of the Run for the Roses last May, the bay produced a stunningly dominant performance this spring when cruising in the G1 Dubai World Cup by 5 3/4 lengths. Eighth in the G1 Juddmonte International S. last out Aug. 22 at York, he returns to his preferred surface here, but will have to navigate the tricky outside post in a race that begins on the clubhouse turn, as well as avoid an early pace duel with the favorite.
Phoenix Thoroughbred III's Gronkowski (Lonhro {Aus}) returns to the scene of a near-upset of Justify (Scat Daddy)'s Triple Crown bid. Riding a four-race winning streak into his North American debut in that final jewel, he was far out of it early, but parlayed a ground-saving trip into a runner-up finish to the undefeated and since-retired chestnut. Expected to build on that effort in the Travers, Gronkowski disappointed, making no impact when a distant eighth.
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