He was definitely sent. Ortiz was low on his back and pumping his arms from the get go, unfortunately Mendelsshon went with him. O'Brien wants to keep sharpening his speed and liked the race as a set up for the Breeder's Cup. Me thinks it was a bad decision either by jock or trainer. Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr., on Diversify, said: "The track was fast and I had to go harder than usual because Mendelssohn was very quick out of there, and I needed to make the lead. I had to use a lot to make the lead. We just went a little fast." A little is an understatement...
Diversify 22.72,:45.64,1:09.13,1:33.89
Imperial Hint 22.09,:44.37,1:08.27
Diversify's owner is on the conservative side saying in the past that the Breeder's Cup wasn't that high on his list preferring to win a race like the JCGC which they did last year and then skipped the BC. I would be surprised if they go at this point.
