Mendelssohn to prep for Breeders' Cup Classic in America

Should Mendelssohn ultimately make it back to Churchill Downs, trainer Aidan O'Brien is poised to prepare his star colt differently for another turn at American dirt racing.

O'Brien, who invited reporters to his training facilities Monday, told local media that Mendelssohn will indeed target a return to the states for the Breeders' Cup Classic at Churchill, where the horse was bashed leaving the gate in the May 5 Kentucky Derby and went on to finish last of 20.

For the Kentucky Derby, Mendelssohn prepped with a victory on synthetic in Ireland before romping in the Group 2 UAE Derby. For the Classic, O'Brien told reporters he'll run the son of Scat Daddy in the U.S. about two months beforehand.

Without naming a race, O'Brien said it could happen "at somewhere like Saratoga," which hosts the Grade 1 Travers on Aug. 25. The Breeders' Cup Classic then runs Nov. 3 in Louisville.

Mendelssohn's finish marked consecutive years in which the UAE Derby winner wound up last in the Kentucky Derby. Thunder Snow, who bucked leaving the gate in 2017, went on to win this year's Dubai World Cup and has also been mentioned as a Breeders' Cup Classic candidate.

In both cases, the horses will seek some vindication.