Mendelssohn failed to bounce back from his disappointing Kentucky Derby performance after being well beaten in the Grade Three Dwyer Stakes at Belmont Park on Saturday evening.
Not put off by his venture to Churchill Downs, where Mendelssohn was bumped early and quickly fell out of contention on a sloppy track, Aidan O'Brien took his son of Scat Daddy back to America to gain more experience of dirt racing but, again, things didn't go to plan.
He was prominent in the early stages and wasn't pressured on the front end, but after taking things up rounding the home turn he was swiftly put in his place by Jason Servis' Firenze Fire who ended up a runaway winner.
Seven Trumpets overtook Mendelssohn for the runner-up spot in the end, with O'Brien's charge only third.
Like Mendelssohn, the winner was last seen trailing home Justify in the Kentucky Derby, but he finished 11th at Churchill Downs while the Ballydoyle hopeful was eased off in last position.
While this could well ignite Firenze Fire's season, it's back to the drawing board for Mendelssohn and a tilt at the Breeders' Cup Classic looks unlikely now. Perhaps he will return to turf, a surface he hasn't raced on since winning the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Del Mar last November.
However, O'Brien's assistant, T.J. Comerford, said on www.bloodhorse.com: "It was a good-run race. Aidan was very happy with him, he watched it at home. He thinks it was a great start since (Kentucky Derby), and he thinks we can build on it.
"I'd say the Breeders' Cup Classic is still the ultimate goal, but he has a lot of bridges to cross before then.
"I thought it was a good run on the dirt. We can't keep stopping and starting. It was a good stepping stone for the next one."
Things got better for O'Brien and Ryan Moore later on the card when Athena swooped late down the outside of the field to land the Grade One Belmont Oaks Invitational in style.
Sent of at 104/10 locally, the Camelot filly bagged the near £400,000 first prize after winning by two-and-a-half lengths from Thewayiam in the 10-furlong contest.
It was a third quick run for Athena as she contested the Ribblesdale at Royal Ascot and the Pretty Polly at the Curragh just last Sunday, while it was her eighth start since turning out for the first time this season on April 16.
The feature Belmont Derby Invitational was won by Catholic Boy, with Ballydoyle's impressive Hampton Court Stakes winner Hunting Horn only third.
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