Diversify has turf in his future

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Diversify has compiled a record of five wins and two seconds in eight career starts, all on dirt, including a tally in the Saginaw Stakes for New York-breds in his Belmont-meet finale. But Diversify could wind up making his Saratoga debut on turf, trainer Rick Violette said on Friday.

Violette worked Diversify on grass Friday for the second time since his 2 3/4-length victory in the July 2 Saginaw, sending him out to breeze five furlongs in 1:04.20 with an overmatched mate over the Oklahoma course.

Violette said the options for Diversify include the Lure on Aug. 5 or an allowance race.

“He has some significant turf pedigree, being out of a Street Cry mare,” said Violette. “Obviously, he’s a very nice horse on dirt, and if he were to improve on the grass, if he can bump up a few points, he may become a graded-stakes-level horse on turf. And I don’t want to leave something like that on the table.”

Violette said his options on dirt here this summer for Diversify are a bit limited since most of those races are carded at 1 1/8 miles, the distance at which he ran seventh this year in the Stymie.

“A mile and one-eighth might be a little beyond his scope, so I’m definitely thinking of experimenting with one race on the turf up here,” said Violette. “If there’s a place we don’t necessarily give up too much doing it, this is it.”

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