5/4/11
Last updated: 5/3/11 6:36 PM
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Master of Hounds first became acquainted with Churchill at last November’s Breeders’ Cup
(Neville Hopwood/Horsephotos.com) |
MASTER OF HOUNDS (Kingmambo) traveled from Ireland on Tuesday and completed
his journey for Saturday’s Kentucky Derby (G1) at 9:35 a.m. (EDT) when the
Sallee Van arrived outside the quarantine section of Barn 45 at Churchill Downs.
T.J. Comerford, traveling head lad for trainer Aidan O’Brien, supervised the
shipping of the colt. O’Brien is scheduled to travel Friday and will be at
Churchill Downs to saddle the colt for the Kentucky Derby.
Comerford said the trip was perfect.
“It couldn’t have been any better,” he said.
The journey began with a 90-minute drive from O’Brien’s Ballydoyle training
center to Shannon International Airport. The colt was loaded on a freight plane
for a direct flight to Chicago. Master of Hounds and his traveling party changed
planes for a direct flight to Louisville International Airport. He was the only
horse on either flight.
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“It was very quick, the quickest that we’ve traveled over here,” Comerford
said. “He traveled great, 100 percent.”
Master of Hounds finished second in the U.A.E. Derby (UAE-G2) on March 26 in
his only start of 2011. Last fall he visited Churchill Downs for the Breeders’
Cup, where he finished sixth in the Juvenile Turf (G2).
The colt cannot go to the track until he clears the quarantine period.
Comerford said that O’Brien will give him instructions on what do with Master of
Hounds when he goes to the track on Thursday and Friday. Exercise rider Pat
Lillis will be aboard.
“He did his last piece of work before he came here,” Comerford said. “Now he
will do some very light canters here before he runs.
“All his work is done. He’s run in Dubai and will improve from the run that
he had. He’s coming here with a good chance. We think he has, anyway.”
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Comma to the Top, shown winning the Generous Stakes on grass, hopes third time on dirt is the charm in the Kentucky Derby
(Paula Smith/Horsephotos.com) |
The Southern California-based gelding COMMA TO THE TOP (Bwana Charlie) was
airborne Tuesday morning, jetting across the country after boarding a Tex Sutton
flight from Ontario Airport just east of Los Angeles around 4 a.m. (PDT) that
arrived in Louisville just before noon (EDT). With him on the flight were
several other California stakes runners, including Zazu (Tapit), who has a date
in Friday’s Kentucky Oaks (G1).
Comma to the Top arrived at Churchill Downs at 1 p.m. and is housed in Barn
42, Stall 16. Trainer Peter Miller, who’ll be saddling his first Kentucky Derby
starter, has veteran Patrick Valenzuela named aboard the Florida-bred. Miller
was in Kentucky Tuesday and was expected to join his horse at the track later in
the day.
When Comma to the Top breaks from the gate Saturday, it will be the 14th
start of his career, the most by any horse in Derby 137. The quick bay, who is
quite likely to be among the forward elements in the expected 20-horse field, is
the fourth-leading graded stakes money winner in the Derby lineup with $671,000
already in the bank.
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