Master of Hounds finished fifth in the Derby, beaten only 5-½ lengths, and is getting a lot of buzz coming from railbirds, pundits, and other alleged experts. Many believe he is the dark horse that will come and upset Animal Kingdom in the stretch, but is he really a legitimate threat?

There was little to like in him for the Kentucky Derby, having done reasonably well on the turf over in Europe and on the Tapeta Meydan course in the UAE Derby. Unlike Animal Kingdom, he didn’t dominate his competition on those non-dirt surfaces, though clearly had some talent somewhere. I suppose he ran a tad better than I thought he would in the Kentucky Derby, but maybe only a few lengths better than I expected.

Why is there all this backstretch buzz? A couple well known jockeys I spoke with love Master of Hounds to become the first Irish runner since Go and Go in 1990 to take the third leg of the Triple Crown.

He did draw favorably down at the rail, which should suit his style, which is to drop back. It is not clear just how far he will drop back. In the Kentucky Derby he was 15th of 19 runners for the first few furlongs, but in his prior race, the UAE Derby, he tracked the leaders. In any case, he will get a good ground saving trip here.

He is by Kingmambo who also sired 1999 Belmont winner Lemon Drop Kid, so he has the breeding to go the 1-½ mile distance of the Belmont Stakes. Assistant trainer T.J. Comerford has said that he thinks the 1-½ mile of the Belmont will suit him well.

In addition, this will be his third race of his three year old season and the third race off the layoff is often when horses show their best form.

He has the additional advantage of being more well rested than Animal Kingdom, Mucho Macho Man, and Shackleford, though he is the most heavily traveled of all the contenders, having raced in Ireland, Great Britain, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States.

One of the most suggestive facts is that his rider for the Derby, Garret Gomez, felt he handled the Churchill dirt in the Derby well and indicated an interest in running him in the Belmont Stakes. Gomez is one of the top jockeys in America currently riding, and when he takes an interest in a horse, people generally take notice.