The plane carrying Florida-based horses to Fair Grounds for Saturday stakes races was supposed to fly Tuesday, but that schedule has been backed up a day until Wednesday.

That's actually good news for one horse that's on the flight, the 3-year-old colt Hyndford. Trainer Todd Pletcher entered Hyndford, along with Noble Indy, in the Louisiana Derby last Saturday, but all along has preferred the Sunland Derby for Hyndford, most recently second to Rebel Stakes winner Magnum Moon in a Tampa Bay Downs allowance race. The Sunland Derby is on Sunday, March 25, and entries are to be taken Wednesday, but Sunland officials told Pletcher over the weekend that Hyndford was unlikely to make the main body of the field and would be consigned to the also-eligible list.

Pletcher has another horse, Prince Lucky, who will get into the Sunland Derby, and he will be on the same plane carrying Hyndford. The flight arrives in New Orleans at around noon Central before going on to New Mexico, and by then, Sunland racing officials ought to be able to tell Pletcher exactly where Hyndford stands. If he's getting into the Sunland Derby, he stays on the plane with Prince Lucky; if not, he gets off in New Orleans and heads to Fair Grounds.