In the Group One Grand Critérium over the same course and distance in October, Mendez was ridden by the Scottish jockey Willie Carson as Asmussen opted to ride the stable's other contender Seattle Song.
[3] Mendez made his debut as a three-year-old in the Prix de Fontainebleau over 1600 metres at Longchamp in April and won by a neck from Nikos with Siberian Express in third.
In the Group One Poule d'Essai des Poulains over the same course and distance he finished third, beaten less than a length by the winner Siberian Express after being obstructed in the straight and appeared to be a somewhat unlucky loser.
He appeared to be travelling easily in the straight but faltered in the closing stages and finished third to Dahar and Cariellor, suggesting that he lacked the necessary stamina for middle-distance competition.
[4] After a break of two and a half months, Mendez returned in the Group One Prix Jacques Le Marois over 1600 metres at Deauville Racecourse in which he was matched against older horses for the first time.
Racing on firm ground he looked outpaced from the start and finished fifth behind the British-trained Lear Fan, with Palace Music second and Siberian Express third.
Under a strong ride from Asmussen however, he made relentless progress in the closing stages, overtook Lear Fan in the final strides and won by half a length, with Meis-El-Reem a short head away in third.
In October, Mendez was brought back in distance for the Prix de la Forêt over 1400 metres but ran poorly and finished unplaced behind Procida.