'A lot of positive' in Mendelssohn's Dwyer defeat
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T.J. Comerford, assistant trainer for Aidan O'Brien, said he'd already spoken to the boss following Mendelssohn's third-place effort Saturday in the Grade 3, $300,000 Dwyer Stakes at Belmont Park.
Well, connections are feeling much more positive than disappointed fans (he's a $3 million brother of Beholder) and horse players (he went off a 3-2 favorite).
"Aidan was very happy with him," Comerford said of Mendelssohn. "He watched it at home. He thinks it was a great start since Kentucky and he thinks we can build on it."
Of course, Saturday's race was Mendelssohn's first since a last-place finish in the Kentucky Derby. That race, the colt had plenty of excuses that day, among them the sloppy surface and plenty of contact leaving the starting gate.
This time, the son of Scat Daddy broke cleanly and dueled with Noble Indy on the early lead. Firenze Fire circled the field and went on to win by nine lengths. Seven Trumpets also got up to beat Mendelssohn for the place.
"He traveled lovely there," Comerford said. "He jumped well from the gate. There's a lot of positive to take out."
One of them? The pace rival, Noble Indy, faded to last, whereas Mendelssohn continued on.
"I thought it was a good run on the dirt," Comerford said. "We can't keep swapping and changing [surfaces]. It was a good stepping stone for the next step."
"He ran a nice race for his first run in two months," said jockey Ryan Moore. "I expect him to come forward from this today. He was comfortable, he jumped well and he just felt like he'd improve off how he ran today."
This race was expected to be one of two Coolmore-campaigned Mendelssohn runs in preparation for the Breeders' Cup Classic on Nov. 3 at Churchill Downs.
Comerford indicated the Sept. 22 Pennsylvania Derby, a Grade 1 race at Parx, is still "in the pipeline," but added, "I'm not sure what Aidan has decided."
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