Maiden winner Combat Diver eyes Breeders' Cup Juvenile

ELMONT, N.Y. – Combat Diver, a maiden winner at Belmont on Oct. 3 at Belmont Park, is being pointed to the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, trainer Gary Contessa said Friday.

Meanwhile, The Truth Or Else, third in the Grade 1 Champagne, has been withdrawn from Breeders’ Cup consideration, trainer Ken McPeek notified via text. The Grade 2 Nashua at Aqueduct on Nov. 2 will be his next start.

Combat Diver, a son of Line of David, finished last in his debut on turf at Belmont on Sept. 20. Contessa wheeled him back two weeks later in a 1 1/16-mile dirt race, and Combat Diver beat the heavily favored Gold Shield by a nose, earning an 80 Beyer Speed Figure.

“He’s a true two-turn horse,” Contessa said. “He has a sister that was a stakes winner on the turf, so I ran him there first time and he didn’t run a jump. I said, ‘Could I be that wrong?’ So we ran him on the dirt and he ran a very good race.”

Contessa trains Combat Diver for owner Chip McEwen, who said he would like to run in the Juvenile. Contessa knows that as simply a maiden winner Combat Diver could be excluded if the race is oversubscribed and will ship him only if he’s guaranteed to make the race.