Boundanddetermined was unbeaten in two starts, but both came sprinting six furlongs. Diversa’s longest win came at seven furlongs. Both 3-year-old fillies were making their first stakes start in the $75,000 Busanda yesterday at Aqueduct, and both were big question marks at the mile and 70 yard distance.
But that didn’t stop them from waging a gut-wrenching battle from the top of the stretch home, with pace-setting Boundanddetermined clinging desperately to the lead under Aaron Gryder and Diversa, Joe Bravo up, going all-out to catch her.
Divsersa’s perseverance paid off. She collared Boundanddetermined in the final yards and edged away at the wire to win the Busanda by a half-length. Montana Cat, the 2-1 favorite, finished another seven lengths back in third.
“It took some time for (Diversa) to come around,” trainer John Kimmel said. “I was disappointed in her first few outings. She was breezing (in the morning) better than she was performing in the afternoon.
“In her first two-turn race I thought she was a winner until Stop for Schnapps ran her down, and I thought she was the horse to beat in here. She really benefited from that first two-turn race, and Joe gave her a great ride.”
“We had a good trip and she ran huge,” Bravo said. “She’s improving at the right time and will only get better.”
Diversa (by Tabasco Cat) paid $9.70, topping a $44.40 exacta and $142.50 trifecta. Her final time was a solid 1:41.2.