Master of Hounds' Derby Plans Firming Up

If all goes well, Ballydoyle colt will fly to Kentucky early Derby week.

Each day brings Mrs. John Magnier’s Master of Hounds closer to the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I), and assuming he works well at Ballydoyle over the next several days he will ship to Churchill Downs early on Derby week, according to trainer Aidan O’Brien.

“At the moment the plan is to run Master of Hounds in the Kentucky Derby,” O’Brien said. “He has a number of pieces of work to do before then and if everything goes well he will leave Ireland on Monday, May 2nd and should arrive at Churchill Downs at approximately 11 a.m. on Tuesday, May 3rd.”

Master of Hounds, who finished sixth, beaten three lengths in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (gr. IIT) at Churchill Downs last year, has never run on dirt, but did finish a game second in the UAE Derby Sponsored by The Saeed and Mohammed Al Naboodha Group (UAE-II), in which he hung on doggedly when challenged by the UAE Oaks (UAE-III) winner Khawlah, losing by the shortest of noses.

The son of Kingmambo – Silk and Scarlet, by Sadler’s Wells was ridden by Ryan Moore in Dubai, and prior to that by Johnny Murtagh, but no jockey has been assigned the mount yet for the Kentucky Derby.