Thunder Snow winds up with a target in seven-furlong Whitney drill

Tommy Burns has accompanied Thunder Snow on his U.S. excursions to Churchill Downs, Belmont Park, and now Saratoga.

When it comes to what surface Burns believes Thunder Snow handles best, he leaves little doubt.

“The best I’ve seen him is on this surface,” Burns said. “For some reason he’s just thriving out here, he’s moving so well.”

Burns was referring to the main track at Saratoga where on Sunday Thunder Snow worked seven furlongs in 1:27.31 in preparation for a start in Saturday’s Grade 1, $1 million Whitney Stakes.

Thunder Snow, under exercise rider Walter Lynch, worked during a busy time, right after the renovation break. He broke off at the seven-furlong pole and went in splits of 12.91 seconds, 25.63, 37.34, and five furlongs in 1:02.06.

Leaving the five-sixteenths pole, Thunder Snow ranged up outside a Tom Albertrani-trained horse that was breezing and followed him through the stretch, passing him inside the sixteenth pole as he got his final quarter in 25.25 seconds.

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“For me, it worked out good, something to aim at because he always has a lead horse at home, goes by a couple of lengths pulls himself up and thinks he’s done enough,” Burns said. “Usually we work him with cheek pieces on, in America we left them off this time.”

Thunder Snow is one of six horses expected to be entered Tuesday for Saturday’s Whitney, a race that offers a fees-paid berth into the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic on Nov. 2 at Santa Anita.

Thunder Snow, the two-time Dubai World Cup winner, finished third in last year’s BC Classic at Churchill Downs. That race came after he was beaten a neck by Discreet Lover in the Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park.

Most recently, Thunder Snow finished third in the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap, a length behind Mitole, and beaten a neck for second by McKinzie.

Thunder Snow has come a long way since he was pulled up just a few strides out of the starting gate in the 2017 Kentucky Derby. He is a four-time Group 1 winner and has earned $16.5 million for Godolphin.

“He’s quick out of the gates now,” Burns said. “From the Kentucky Derby to now he’s a different horse. You see in the Met Mile he was up there, he just improved in every aspect of all American racing.”

Burns said Thunder Snow could have a two- to three-furlong blowout on Thursday.

The Whitney, run at 1 1/8 miles, is expected to draw McKinzie, last year’s Grade 1 Pennsylvania Derby winner; Yoshida, last year’s Grade 1 Woodward winner; Vino Rosso, the Grade 1 Gold Cup at Santa Anita winner; Preservationist, the Grade 2 Suburban winner; and Forewarned, an Ohio-bred stakes winner from the barn of Uriah St. Lewis, who upset last year’s Jockey Club Gold Cup with Discreet Lover.

Entries were to be finalized and post positions drawn at Sperry’s, a downtown Saratoga Springs restaurant on Tuesday evening.