Excellent third for Thunder Snow in Met Mile

Dual Dubai World Cup winner Thunder Snow ran well to finish third under joint top-weight in the G1 Metropolitan Handicap over a mile on dirt at Belmont Park, USA, on Saturday, 8 June.

The five-year-old Helmet horse, trained by Saeed bin Suroor and partnered as usual by Christophe Soumillon, was slightly slow into stride among the strong field of nine runners.

He recovered to race in sixth towards the inside before moving up fifth and made further progress to go fourth turning for home. The pace was fast – 22.17s for the first quarter-mile and 44.38s for the first half-mile.

Travelling conspicuously well, Thunder Snow, faltered momentarily on straightening up, but then knuckled down and was switched inside to go second to the winner Mitole.

He kept on well without getting grips with Mitole, who has now won seven races in a row, and just lost out on the runner-up position to fast-finishing McKinzie – the first three clear. The margins were three quarters of a length and a neck, while the race time came to a quick 1m 32.75s.

Saeed bin Suroor was delighted with Thunder Snow’s first race since the horse became the initial dual winner of the US$12-million G1 Dubai World Cup Sponsored By Emirates Airline when running on gamely to beat Gronkowski by a nose in a thrilling finish to the 10-furlong dirt showpiece on Dubai World Cup night at Meydan, UAE, on Saturday, 30 March.

The trainer commented: “Thunder Snow race a huge race and I am happy with him.

“He was up against some of the best American milers and will improve for the race.

“We will bring him back to England and prepare him to race in America again, with his target being the G1 Whitney Stakes (1m 1f, August 3) at Saratoga.”