'No apparent excuse' for Diversify's defeat; Breeders' Cup possible

Lauren Evans and Ralph M. Evans' Diversify is no worse for wear following his fifth-place finish as the beaten favorite in the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup, said Ralph Evans on Sunday.

The New York-bred multiple Grade 1 winner battled European invader Mendelssohn though fast early fractions, folding at the eighth pole to finish five lengths behind Discreet Lover. It was just the third off-the-board finish in 16 career starts for Diversify and his first since being eased to seventh in the Grade 2 Charles Town Classic in April.

"I've gotten nothing but good reports on him this morning," said Evans. "He scoped clean and hopefully, we'll fight another day. We have no apparent excuse, it seems, except just going too fast early."

A one-length winner of the 2017 Jockey Club Gold Cup, the Rick Violette, Jr.-trained Diversify entered this year's 100th running on a three-race win streak, beginning with the Commentator for New York-breds in May and followed by the Grade 2 Suburban on July 7. 

This summer, he earned a spot in the Breeders' Cup Classic with a 3 ½-length victory in the Grade 1 Whitney in his typical front-running style on August 5 at Saratoga. 

Evans said the connections will do blood work in the coming days, a routine procedure for the 5-year-old Bellamy Road gelding, and resume discussions about Diversify's Breeders' Cup Classic viability, held this year at Churchill, where he finished a tiring fourth in the Grade 1 Clark Handicap last fall.

"We haven't addressed the issue since the race and we probably won't for a few days at least," he said.