Diversify to wait for Woodward

ELMONT, N.Y. – Diversify, who romped to a 6 1/2-length victory in Saturday’s Grade 2, $700,000 Suburban Stakes, will likely make his next start in the Grade 1, $750,000 Woodward on Sept. 1 at Saratoga, trainer Rick Violette said Sunday.

Violette feels the Grade 1, $1.2 million Whitney on Aug. 4 may come up a bit too soon for a horse who earned a career-best 110 Beyer Speed Figure on Saturday.

“It would have been nice to do both up there because he loves that track, too, but I don’t think we’ll be able to do it,” said Violette, who called Diversify’s performance Saturday “scary impressive.”

Diversify’s final time of 1:59.84 was the fastest Suburban run at 1 1/4 miles since 2004, when Peace Rules covered the distance in 1:59.52.

Violette said Diversify was “tired and wound up” Sunday morning. “He laid it all on the line yesterday,” he said.

Jerkens next for Firenze Fire

The connections of Dwyer Stakes winner Firenze Fire appear ready to resist the temptation to try two turns again and will likely run him in the Grade 1, $500,000 H. Allen Jerkens going seven furlongs on Aug. 25 at Saratoga, trainer Jason Servis said.

Firenze Fire, 11th in the Kentucky Derby, rolled to a nine-length victory in the Dwyer, running a mile in 1:33.74 and earning a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 107, tied for the highest by a 3-year-old in 2018.

Servis said he spoke with owner Ron Lombardi on Sunday morning, and both seemed on board with the Jerkens.

“We did the Derby thing, it was fun,” Servis said. “Now that we’re all over that, we’re going to run the horse where we think he’s at his best.”

Firenze Fire is 5 for 7 in races run around one turn, including wins in the Grade 1 Champagne last fall at Belmont and the Grade 2 Sanford at Saratoga last summer.

Servis said that Sunny Ridge, who won Friday’s $100,000 State Dinner Stakes, will be considered for the Whitney Stakes.

Limousine Liberal eyes Forego

Limousine Liberal and Whitmore, separated by a neck in Saturday’s Grade 3, $350,000 Belmont Sprint Championship, could make their next starts at Saratoga, but it remains to be seen if they will target the same race.

Limousine Liberal, who won the Belmont Sprint, was scheduled to return to Churchill Downs on Monday. Trainer Ben Colebrook said the Grade 1, $600,000 Forego, a seven-furlong race Aug. 25 at Saratoga, is the logical next spot for the 6-year-old gelding by Successful Appeal. The Belmont Sprint also was run at seven furlongs.

Though Limousine Liberal earned a fees-paid berth in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint, a sixfurlong race, Colebrook said he also will keep the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile in mind.

“I think a little bit depends how things shake up, what the sprint division looks like,” Colebrook said. “Do we do something different and run him in the [Dirt] Mile? I think we’ll probably consider both races, see what shakes out. A lot can happen between now and then.”

Whitmore ping-ponged off the rail and bumped with Shaft of Light in the Belmont Sprint but came out of that incident unscathed, trainer Ron Moquett said. Moquett said the Grade 1 Alfred G. Vanderbilt at six furlongs is possible for Whitmore, though that would mean running him back in three weeks. Last year, Whitmore was scratched from the Vanderbilt after injuring a foot while shipping.

“That Vanderbilt, that’s one of my dream races,” said Moquett, who could wait for the Forego if he thinks his colt needs more time.

Handle hits $24.6 million

All-sources handle on Saturday’s Stars & Stripes card at Belmont Park was $24,612,465, the highest in the five-year history of the event. The card was highlighted by the Belmont Derby and the Belmont Oaks.

In 2014, the New York Racing Association moved the Jamaica and the Garden City from the Belmont fall meet to the summer and re-branded them as the Belmont Derby and Belmont Oaks, respectively. That year, there were 10 races – including the Dwyer, Suburban, and Belmont Sprint Championship – and the all-sources handle was $18,829,264. Since then, there have been 11 races on the day, and in 2016 all-sources handle was $22,980,094. It dropped slightly last year to $22,341,423 before going up 10.1 percent this year.

Ontrack handle Saturday was $3,182,221, a 3 percent increase from last year’s figure of $3,084,823, and the highest in the last five years on that day.

Attendance on Saturday was 16,763, also a high for the last five years. There was a drinking glass giveaway Saturday.

BARBARA D. LIVINGSTON Diversify, under Irad Ortiz Jr., goes wire to wire in the Suburban on Saturday. He ran the 1 1/4 miles in 1:59.84 and earned a lifetime-best Beyer Speed Figure of 110.