Breeder Mitchell Greets Mendelssohn at Churchill

A familiar face greeted Mendelssohn May 3 when the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) entrant took his first steps on the Churchill Downs racetrack.

Fred Mitchell, who owns Clarkland Farm with his wife, Nancy, walked to the track with Mendelssohn on a balmy Thursday at Churchill, the first morning the Scat Daddy colt was allowed out of quarantine since arriving April 30. Mitchell, along with Clarkland's Matt Ernst, watched as Mendelssohn left Barn 17 at 7:45 a.m., entered the track with three other Aidan O'Brien-trained runners, walked the outside of the oval, and then jogged.

"He looked like he just skipped over it this morning; very easy," Mitchell said. "So we'll just keep our fingers crossed until Saturday afternoon and hope for the best for everybody."

Mendelssohn has traveled the world since topping the 2016 Keeneland September yearling sale at $3 million. He made his debut in Ireland at the Curragh, then raced in England at Doncaster and Newmarket before closing out his season with a trip to North America, where he won the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1T) at Del Mar. This year, he won his season debut on the synthetic surface at Dundalk in Ireland before being shipped to Dubai, where he delivered an eye-popping 18 1/2-length victory in the UAE Derby Sponsored By Saeed & Mohammed Al Naboodah Group (G2).

Mendelssohn, campaigned by Coolmore-affiliated owners Derrick Smith, Michael Tabor, and Susan Magnier, was flown back to Ireland before his second trip to the U.S. for a Kentucky Derby run.

Mitchell credits Scat Daddy, who has four sons in this year's Derby, for the colt's ability to run on any surface. The breeder marveled at the horse's racing schedule, recalling the August day they began prepping the half brother to multiple champion Beholder and grade 1 winner and successful sire Into Mischief  for the 2016 Keeneland sale. Consigned by Clarkland, M.V. Magnier went to $3 million to land Mendelssohn, the highest price paid for a yearling at the sale since 2010. 

"Who would have ever thought he'd ship back over here from Ireland and win the Breeders' Cup out in California? Ship back and win in (Ireland) on the Polytrack," Mitchell said. "Ship to Dubai, and when they put him on the dirt he exploded."

For his second dirt start, Mendelssohn will break from post 14 in the 1 1/4-mile Kentucky Derby, where he's the second choice on the morning line at odds of 5-1. O'Brien is expected to oversee the colt's morning routine May 4. 

On Thursday, Coolmore's head travel lad, Pat Keating, said the excursion provided Mendelssohn a chance to see his surroundings, along with stablemates Deauville, Seahenge, and Threeandfourpence, who are entered in stakes this weekend at Churchill. The bay colt walked the opposite direction along the outside of the track and then jogged a bit under Dean Gallagher.

"He just did some very gentle exercise around the track," Keating said. "We're all happy. They all traveled well. We couldn't be happier.

"We just wanted to get him out and have him stretch his legs. He handled the quarantine a lot better than I do."