It took a bit to figure things out, but when it clicked for the Dark Hollow Farm-bred 2-year-old COMBAT DIVER in his second start, the battle was on! Digging in and giving nothing away down the long Belmont Park stretch on Oct. 3, the chestnut son of Line of David held off odds-on choice Gold Shield to win the $75,000 maiden special weight by a nose after one and a sixteenth miles and a relentless stretch drive.

COMBAT DIVER is trained by Gary Contessa for Wounded Warrior Stables, which purchased the flashy chestnut colt out of the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic May 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale for $100,000. COMBAT DIVER is a half-brother to multiple stakes winner JOY, and the second winner from as many starters for his dam SAFE JOURNEY.

A winning daughter of Flatter, SAFE JOURNEY descends from Dark Hollow Farm's foundation mare Safely Home. SAFE JOURNEY's dam, stakes-placed $114,923-earner Safe At the Plate, is a half-sister to Hall of Famer SAFELY KEPT and graded stakes winner PARTNER'S HERO. SAFE JOURNEY is a half-sister to graded stakes-placed runners Cognac Kisses ($178,094) and Kettle Won ($113,606) and $361,313-earner Glide Home.

SAFE JOURNEY is the dam of a 2013 colt by Archarcharch and a 2014 colt by Bodemeister born this past April. She was bred back to Alternation.