Master of Hounds arrives, gallops at Belmont

Cleared from quarantine at Aqueduct, MASTER OF HOUNDS (Kingmambo) took a van ride to Belmont Park a little after 6 a.m.

(EDT) on Thursday and arrived full

of himself at his temporary home in trainer John Hertler's barn.

T. J. Comerford, assistant to trainer Aidan O'Brien, sent the world-traveling

Belmont S. (G1) contender out for a steady one-mile canter, which gave the colt

his first feel for the Belmont Park main track. With exercise rider Pat Lillis

aboard, Master of Hounds galloped easily around, staying close to the rail, with

Manhattan H. (G1) entrant Viscount Nelson (Giant's Causeway) slightly behind him,

well out in the center of the track.

For video of Master of Hounds' first gallop at Belmont Park, along

with comments from Comerford, click

here.

"He got a bit wound up," Comerford said of Master of Hounds' arrival at

Belmont. "Mostly, he was too fresh. All we could do there (in quarantine) was

walk in the barn."

Despite the heat, Master of Hounds appeared comfortable, according to

Comerford.

"Once he was out on the track, he didn't sweat at all," the assistant trainer

said. "My lad sweated more than him."

Back in his stall afterward, Master of Hounds kept his ears pricked and

showed a strong interest in the activity around him, letting out several loud

whinnies.

"We thought he would be well-suited to the American style of racing, but you

can never be sure how they will handle the dirt until they try it," Coolmore spokesman Richard Henry

said. "He has a great temperament and has coped

extremely well with all the traveling."

That travel has included a trip to Churchill Downs last fall for a

sixth-place finish in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G2), a long journey to

Dubai for a nose defeat in the U.A.E. Derby (UAE-G2) in March, and then a closing

fifth-place finish in the May 7 Kentucky Derby (G1).

Comerford said jockey Garrett Gomez was very excited about the horse after

the Kentucky Derby and figured he would have finished closer than 5 1/2 lengths

back had there been more distance to run beyond the mile and a quarter.

From Churchill, it was back to Ireland to train over the woodchip training

track at Ballydoyle for the Belmont, Henry said.

Comerford said Master of Hounds would gallop on the main track at 6:30 a.m.

Friday morning.

"That's the end of it," he said of the colt's preparation.

"There will be no problem."

Four-year-old Viscount Nelson was selected to join

Master of Hounds at Belmont this weekend because "we think he should be suited

by the conditions and the style of American racing," Henry said.