HAVING landed the English and Irish Derbys, Aidan O’Brien turns his attention abroad this weekend when the sends three three-year-olds for the two big races at Belmont.

A field of 11 will go to post for the Grade 1, $1.2 million Belmont Derby Invitational at 1¼ miles on the inner turf as the main event on Saturday's Stars & Stripes Racing Festival. Aidan O'Brien won this race last year with Deauville.

Homesman, winner of the Grade 3, Airlie Stud Gallinule Stakes at Curragh, will make only his third career start and is joined by the more experienced Whitecliffsofdover, with two wins from seven starts. Both are sons of War Front. Homesman will have Colm O'Donoghue aboard, and Whitecliffsofdover partnered by jockey Wayne Lordan.

"Homesman is very lightly raced. He's actually grown up to be a fine, big horse," assistant trainer T. J. Comerford told the press at the track. "They're two similar horses. Homesman is progressing, it's a big step up for him, but he's entitled to do so."

The home favourite is Oscar Performance will look for his second straight victory after an easy Grade 3 win last time. Oscar Performance won the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf in his two-year-old campaign.

Bill Mott runs both Good Samaritan and Yoshida.. Senior Investment, last seen finishing fifth in the Belmont Stakes, is another contender.

Aidan O’Brien will be represented by Grade 3 Irish stakes winner Key To My Heart in the Belmont Oaks.

Chad Brown, who will be seeking his third Belmont Oaks tally in four years, is well-represented with four of the 12 entrants including New Money Honey and Sistercharlie, the possible favourite in her first outing for Brown. The formerly French-based filly won three of her first four starts, including a Group 3 two back, before a runner-up in the French Oaks.

Kentucky Oaks runner-up Daddys Lil Darling returns aftrr a disastrous attempt at the Group 1 Investec Oaks on June 2 at Epsom when she bolted on the way to the start.