A notoriously difficult race for European horses to win but three take their chance. Roaring Lion is the best of them on Turf but his Group 1 winning streak may well come to end on this surface despite having won the QE11 at Ascot a fortnight ago. Ballydoyle’s Mendelssohn and the Godolphin colt Thunder Snow have form on Dirt having filled the places behind Discreet Lover at Belmont last time but the latter finished well behind runner-up Mind Your Biscuits at Saratoga before that. Catholic Boy also beat Mendelssohn at the latter track in August and though Bob Baffert’s winning run in this contest came to end last year, he runs recent Grade 1 winners Mckinzie and West Coast today, though the latter could only manage third in the 2017 renewal with Gunnevera further behind. Accelerate inched through the field after a slow start at Santa Anita to win his third Grade 1 race in succession. Similar tactics may have to be employed today given a high draw but a chance is taken on YOSHIDA. The latter ran well in the Queen Anne at Ascot during the summer and returned to the Dirt in September to land a Grade 1 over 1m1f at Saratoga. Not one to tilt at windmills, Bill Mott considers his colt can run a big race today and he gets the vote.
Thunder Snow (IRE) Helmet colt out of Eastern Joy.
Roaring Lion (USA) Kitten's Joy colt out of Vionnet.
Catholic Boy (USA) More Than Ready colt out of Song Of Bernadette.
Gunnevera (USA) Dialed In colt out of Unbridled Rage.
Lone Sailor (USA) Majestic Warrior colt out of Ambitious.
Mckinzie (USA) Street Sense colt out of Runway Model.
West Coast (USA) Flatter colt out of Caressing.
Pavel (USA) Creative Cause colt out of Mons Venus.
Mendelssohn (USA) Scat Daddy colt out of Leslie's Lady.
Yoshida (JPN) Heart's Cry colt out of Hilda's Passion.
Mind Your Biscuits (USA) Posse H out of Jazzmane.
Axelrod (USA) Warrior's Reward colt out of Volatile Vickie.
Discreet Lover (USA) Repent H out of Discreet Chat.
Accelerate (USA) Lookin At Lucky H out of Issues.
Collected (USA) City Zip H out of Helena Bay.
Toast Of New York (USA) Thewayyouare gelding out of Claire Soleil.
