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Bahrain Trophy winner Spanish Mission is set for a first start in the US on Saturday in the $1 million Jockey Club Derby Invitational Stakes at Belmont Park.
While Spanish Mission has raced strictly in Britain, the David Simcock-trained three-year-old was bred in Kentucky and has American owners in Team Valor and Earle Mack.
The Group 3 scorer finished third in the Qatar Gordon Stakes at Glorious Goodwood last time and is best suited by a sound surface.
With rain already in the forecast this week for Belmont Park, Barry Irwin, Team Valor's founder and ceo, is hoping the tentacles of Hurricane Dorian do not complicate matters even more.
Irwin said: "He's not your usual European because he does not like soft going.
"The weather is our big concern. The horse versus the competition and the conditions, we feel very good about that."
Jamie Spencer's mount will face eight rivals, including fellow European raider San Huberto, trained by Fabrice Chappet and a recent Listed winner at Deauville.
Pedro Cara, successful at Listed level at Vichy, runs for France-based Mauricio Delcher Sanchez, while a familiar name among declarations to British racing fans is Kadar, who used to be trained by Karl Burke and now in the care of Michael Maker in the US.
Victory could seal a spot in the Longines Breeders' Cup Turf through the 'Win and You're In' initiative but Spanish Mission is likely to return to Europe after Saturday's race with the Melbourne Cup a long-term aim.
Irwin said: "Even though he has run over a mile and a half and more, he's a versatile horse.
"When he won his last race, Jamie [Spencer] told us, 'Don't just think he's a stayer. Today it wouldn't have mattered what the distance was.'
"With horses by Noble Mission, most of them look like the older they get, the better they will get. David [Simcock] has been telling me from day one that no matter what he does this year, Spanish Mission will be better next year and even better the year after that.
"We're looking at a horse we can campaign until he's at least five with that big race in Australia in mind. One of our plans is that we hope he can be a Melbourne Cup horse, which is a race Earle and I would love to win. Ideally, he could run in it at five or six, but if he continues to improve, he could do it next year."
