A spokesman for Coolmore Stud confirmed April 18 that Mrs. John Magnier’s Master of Hounds is being pointed for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I).
Not only is “the plan at the moment to run Master of Hounds in the Derby,” but Coolmore could be represented in the Woodford Reserve Turf Classic (gr. IT) by Jan Vermeer, but the son of Montjeu is only regarded as a possible at this point. Trainer Aidan O’Brien is expected to make a decision later in the week.
Owned by Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, and Mrs. Magnier, Jan Vermeer has won the Criterium International (Fr.-I) and Airlie Stud Gallunule Stakes (Ire-III) and was third in the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby (Ire-I) and Juddmonte Grand Prix de Paris (Fr-I), and fourth in the Investec Epsom Derby (Eng-I).
Master of Hounds has already run at Churchill Downs, finishing sixth, beaten three lengths in a troubled trip as the 7-2 favorite in the 2010 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (gr. IIT), won by Pluck. In his 3-year-old debut, the Kingmambo colt ran a gutsy race in the UAE Derby Sponsored by the Saeed and Al Naboodah Group (UAE-II) to be beaten a nose by the Al Tayer Motors UAE Oaks (UAE-III) winner Khawlah.
Master of Hounds
Mathea Kelley/Dubai Racing Club