Diamond King sent to trainer John Servis

Following a partial sale, the promising 3-year-old Diamond King has been transferred to trainer John Servis and sent to the Palm Meadows Training Center in Florida.

A son of Quality Road, Diamond King was purchased last May for $235,000 by Chuck Zacney and Glenn Bennett at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-year-olds in training sale at Timonium. He has since been based at Parx Racing with trainer Butch Reid Jr.

Diamond King scored an impressive victory in the $100,000 Heft Stakes at Laurel Park on Dec. 30. He vied for the lead in the seven-furlong race, disposed of his pace-setting rival, but then was passed in upper stretch. He came back gamely under jockey Frankie Pennington to win by 1 1/2 lengths.

The victory improved Diamond King's record to three wins from four starts. In his only loss, Diamond King clipped heels entering the first turn of the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club at Churchill Downs, unseating Pennington.

Since the Heft Stakes, the DJ Stable of Leonard Green and his family have bought into Diamond King and requested he be sent to Servis, with whom they have other horses. Servis and Zacney also race together, and had great success in 2016 with Kentucky Oaks winner Cathryn Sophia.

"After the last race, Chuck was having a lot of interest to sell the horse," Servis said of Diamond King. "He was interested in selling but wanted to stay in for a piece. A West Coast group wanted the whole horse.

"Clients of mine got word about what was going on and bought in."

Servis breezed Diamond King for the first time Wednesday. Irad Ortiz Jr. was aboard for the five-furlong work that was timed in 1:02.90.

"We've nominated him to the Holy Bull but it's too soon to say where he'll run next," Servis said. "I've only had him a short time. He's not a very big horse but he covers a lot of ground."

The Grade 2, $350,000 Holy Bull, a 1 1/16-mile race for 3-year-olds, will be held at Gulfstream Park on Feb. 3.