Dubai: Fly Down progressed well throughout his three-year-old campaign and his last race of the year was his best, finishing third behind Blame and Zenyatta in the Breeders' Cup Classic (Group One) at Churchill Downs in November.
The best of the three-year-olds in the race, he confirmed his place among the elite, and the Group One Dubai World Cup is now on his agenda.
Focusing on the second half of the season, the colt beat Drosselmeyer by six lengths to land the nine-furlong Dwyer Stakes (Group Two) at Belmont Park and was fancied for the Belmont Stakes (Group One).
The step up to 12 furlongs (2,400 metres) was not expected to trouble him, and the distance probably wasn't the reason for his defeat.
Finished well
Fly Down finished well, though overall his performance was not as good as the one we saw in the Dwyer.
Drosselmeyer turned the form around to the tune of almost seven lengths, as he won the Belmont, beating Fly Down, who just got up to take second in the last couple of strides, beating First Dude by a neck.
First Dude had been a good second to Lookin At Lucky in the Preakness three weeks earlier.
Fly Down is a horse that has improved gradually with age and experience, with more than enough stamina for the Dubai World Cup trip, though he has yet to race on an artificial track.
