ELMONT, N.Y. – A decade or so ago, it might have been folly to think a New York-bred gelding would be favored over horses from two of the most powerful racing operations in the world in a race as prestigious as the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup. But on Saturday, Godolphin Racing’s Thunder Snow and Coolmore’s Mendelssohn will have the 5-year-old New York-bred gelding Diversify to catch and beat in the 100th renewal of the Gold Cup at Belmont Park. Diversify was the 7-2 second choice when he glided to a front-running, one-length victory in last year’s Jockey Club Gold Cup, his first stakes win against open company. This year, Diversify enters the Gold Cup off powerful victories in the Grade 2 Suburban, run here at 1 1/4 miles in July, and the Grade 1 Whitney, run at 1 1/8 miles at Saratoga last month. “He’s become more and more of a racehorse,” Melissa Cohen, assistant to trainer Rick Violette said Thursday at Belmont. “It’s him growing up and figuring it out.” Cohen has been overseeing Diversify’s recent training while Violette recovers from stomach surgery – unrelated to his previous battle with cancer – earlier this week. Violette, who was not present at last year’s Gold Cup victory, is hopeful, but uncertain to be here Saturday. Diversify’s weapon is his speed and nowhere is that weapon more potent than at Belmont Park, where Diversify has 6 wins and 2 seconds from 8 starts. He is capable of putting up fast early fractions and carrying his speed a distance of ground. His last two works – both five furlongs in a tick under 59 seconds over Belmont’s main track under jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. – are an indication to Cohen of Diversify’s readiness. “He’s not rank, he’s a good sharp, he’s a good eager, he’s like ‘Let’s go, let’s do it,’ ” Cohen said. “He’s a horse that wants to be on the bridle. He’s happy when he’s really dragging you around. Irad has figured him out. He knows now he wants to be on the bridle.” The Jockey Club Gold Cup, at 1 1/4 miles, is a Win and You’re In race for the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic on Nov. 3 at Churchill Downs. Curlin (2007) was the last horse to win both races. The last horse to come out of the Gold Cup and win the Classic was Fort Larned in 2012. :: Breeders’ Cup Challenge: Results, replays, charts, and more Last year, after the Gold Cup, Violette held Diversify out of the Classic believing it was not a good fit given the shape of the race. This year, Violette has another quandary when it comes to the Breeders’ Cup. Diversify didn’t appear to handle Churchill’s main track when he finished fourth in the Clark Handicap last November. Violette has said he may ship Diversify to Churchill early to get him acclimated to the surface before deciding whether to run in the Classic. Despite disastrous previous experiences at Churchill Downs, the Classic is the stated objective for Mendelssohn and Thunder Snow. Mendelssohn finished last of 20 in this year’s Kentucky Derby. He has since come back to finish third in the Grade 3 Dwyer at Belmont and second in the Grade 1 Travers at Saratoga. Trainer Aidan O’Brien said this week from Ireland that Mendelssohn got tired in the Dwyer “which he was entitled to do. We were happy with the run, we knew he would come forward again from that.” Over a speed-favoring Saratoga main track in the Travers, Mendelssohn made the pace only to be overtaken by a stalking Catholic Boy. Saturday, it is likely Mendelssohn will have to do the stalking. “I think we’re very easy whatever happens,” O’Brien said. “Our horse doesn’t mind leading, and he won’t mind the other way.” Mendelssohn will break from post 3 under Ryan Moore. In the 2017 Kentucky Derby, Thunder Snow was pulled up a furlong in by Christophe Soumillon after seemingly struggling with the sloppy track. :: Two-day, $141,055 pick six carryover adds to allure of Gold Cup card Thunder Snow comes into the Gold Cup with a mixed résumé. In March, he won the Dubai World Cup authoritatively over North America’s West Coast. Last month, he finished last of eight in the Group 1 Juddmonte International on turf. He lost a front and a hind shoe in that race. Thunder Snow is another whose success has come on the front end. Trainer Saeed bin Suroor, in New York on Thursday, said he would be happy if his horse is stalking the pace under Soumillon. “Last time, Christophe tried to hold him but said he was too keen,” Suroor said. “I hope this time he settles. He could sit second or third if there’s a strong pace.” A contested pace would help Gronkowski, the Belmont Stakes runner-up who finished eighth in the Travers. Chad Brown, the trainer of Gronkowski, felt the speed-favoring nature of Saratoga’a main track that day worked against his horse’s late-running style. Discreet Lover finished third to Diversify in the Suburban and Whitney, but finished 12th in the Woodward. Carlino, Patch, and Uno Mas Modelo complete the Gold Cup field. The Gold Cup goes as race 10 on an 11-race card that begins at 12:30 p.m. and includes the Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic, the Grade 1 Vosburgh, and the Grade 3 Pilgrim Stakes.