Stage Gift leads European delegation to Belmont

A strong European contingent of six horses will invade Belmont Park next Saturday, three for the 1 3/8-mile Man o' War Stakes and three for the 1 1/8-mile Garden City Stakes.

The most intriguing new name for the Man o' War is Stage Gift, a 4-year-old son of Cadeaux Genereux owned by Godolphin. A former handicap horse, he won the 1 1/8-mile Group 3 Darley Stakes at Newmarket last fall in his last start at 3 before being purchased for Sheikh Mohammed's wife, Princess Haya of Jordan, for whom he ran twice in Dubai this winter.

Switched to Godolphin under the care of trainer Saeed bin Suroor when he was sent to England in April, he has won his last two starts, the 1 1/4-mile, Group 3 La Coupe at Longchamp and the 1 5/16-mile, Group 2 York Stakes at York. Frankie Dettori will fly to New York for the ride.

Stage Gift will be joined by Doctor Dino, who, after his fast-closing third in the Arlington Million for French-based trainer Richard Gibson, was sent to Belmont, where he has been preparing for the Man o' War.

Trainer Aidan O'Brien will be represented by Yellowstone, a 3-year-old Rock of Gibraltar colt. He was second by a length to Lucarno in the 1 1/2-mile Group 2 Great Voltigeur Stakes at York on Aug. 21.

The three foreign fillies in the Garden City will be the Jean-Claude Rouget-trained Missvinsky, most recently a sharp second to Darjina in the one-mile Group 1 Prix d'Astarte at Deauville; Costume, coming off a close second in the seven-furlong Group 2 Oak Tree Stakes at Goodwood for John Gosden; and Alexander Tango, a Tommy Stack-trained Irish filly who was most recently second vs. older colts in the 1 1/4-mile Group 2 Royal Whip Stakes at the Curragh.