Busy is better for Met Mile co-highweight Thunder Snow

ELMONT, N.Y. – Thunder Snow won the Dubai World Cup in 2018 and went winless in four races before winning the World Cup again in March.

His connections believe they made a mistake by giving him an extended break following his victory in the 2018 Dubai World Cup. This year, they are eschewing a break for a potentially busy North America campaign that begins in Saturday’s robust renewal of the Grade 1, $1.2 million Metropolitan Handicap at Belmont Park.

“We gave him a break for two or three months last year, which was a bad thing to do with him because he got lazier and lazier and we couldn’t get him fit,” said Tommy Burns, an assistant to trainer Saeed bin Suroor. “We had to run him at York where he was well beaten.”

Following his win in the 2018 World Cup, Thunder Snow didn’t run again until the Group 1 Juddmonte International on turf at York where he finished last of eight behind winner Roaring Lion. Thunder Snow came to the U.S. where he finished second in the Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont and third in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

This year, Thunder Snow finished second in the Al Maktoum Challenge before winning the World Cup by a nose over Gronkowski. The Met Mile might kick off a U.S. campaign that could include the Whitney at Saratoga on Aug. 3.

Though he has made his last eight starts at 1 3/16 miles or farther, there is belief in his camp that Thunder Snow might be better at a mile.

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Burns said jockey Christophe Soumillon “is adamant his best trip would be a mile.”

Thunder Snow arrived at Belmont on Sunday and Burns was hopeful to have him on the track Tuesday for a jog and a two-to-three-furlong blowout on Thursday.

Thunder Snow is the 124-pound co-highweight in the Met Mile along with McKinzie, recent winner of the Grade 2 Alysheba Stakes at Churchill Downs. Others who were expected to enter on Tuesday were Coal Front (122 pounds), Mitole (122), Promises Fulfilled (120), Firenze Fire (119), Prince Lucky (119), Pavel (118), and Tale of Silence (116).

The Met Mile is a Win and You’re In race for the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile.

Precieuse retired

Precieuse, a Group 1 winner in France and a Grade 2 winner in the U.S., has been retired from racing, trainer Chad Brown said Sunday.

Brown said Precieuse said came out of a May 26 workout at Belmont Park with an injury that forced owner Peter Brant to retire her from racing.

Precieuse had been training toward a start in Saturday’s Grade 1 Just a Game at Belmont Park.

In 2017, when trained by Fabrice Chappet, Precieuse won the Group 1 Poule d’Essai des Pouliches in Deauville. In three starts for Brown, Precieuse won the Grade 3 Honey Fox in March at Gulfstream. She finished fifth as the favorite in the Grade 2 Churchill Downs Distaff Turf Mile.

Brown still planned to run Environs in the Just a Game.