Aidan O’Brien’s Mendelssohn has Breeders’ Cup Classic aim despite Kentucky Derby flop

MENDELSSOHN will have the rest of his season geared around a crack at the Breeders' Cup Classic on November 3.

Aidan O'Brien's colt is set to have two more runs in America before his final aim.

He looked the real deal when handing out a thrashing to his rivals in the UAE Derby at Meydan in March before coming home last of 20 runners in the Kentucky Derby.

However, the horrendous conditions that day were sure to have played a part in his downfall.

O'Brien said: "We're training him for a race at Belmont (Dwyer Stakes, July 7) - a Group 3 on the dirt - which is the same day as the Eclipse.

"He'll either go for the Eclipse or Belmont and it looks like he'll go to America.

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"We're thinking that's where he'll go, then the Pennsylvania Derby before the Classic.

"Come the Classic, he'll hopefully be there all guns blazing."

On Mendelssohn's experience in the Kentucky Derby, O'Brien added: "We knew before that on the slop it would be a different world.

"Ryan (Moore) always felt he was a dirt horse but he'd never been on the slop before.

"It was over very quickly and he just looked after him. It was a good experience for us."