Mubtaahij will stay in America to tackle the Belmont Stakes with trainer Mike de Kock deciding not to send him to the Preakness Stakes.
The Dubawi colt, winner of the UAE Derby, broke new ground for his South African handler when eighth in the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on Saturday.
He finished 9-1/2 lengths behind the winner American Pharoah and will step up to 2400m to the Belmont on June 6, the final leg of the Triple Crown rather than go to the 1900m Preakness on Saturday week.
“Going for the Preakness with Mubtaahij will be hard,” De Kock said on his website.
“He will be up against the first three past the post in the Derby, the race is two weeks away and is run over 100m shorter than the Derby.
“The Belmont Stakes suits us best. Mubtaahij will see out the 2400m and we have more than a month to prepare him.”
American Pharoah and Derby placegetters Firing Line and Dortmund have remained in Kentucky and will travel to Baltimore next week,
The other possible Derby runners in the Preakness are Danzig Moon (fifth), Materiality (sixth), Carpe Diem (10th) and Mr. Z (13th).
