Nyquist is the eighth unbeaten Kentucky Derby victor of all time, and the first to own an 8-0 record since Majestic Prince in 1969.
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American Pharoah, who was one of the most impressive physical specimens in horse racing, “only” ran the Kentucky Derby in 2:03.52. On-track wagering on the Kentucky Derby Day program was up 2% to $23.5 million, just shy of the record $23.7 million in 2012.
Danzing Candy started to drop back on the far turn and Nyquist and Gun Runner entered the stretch side by side.
Exaggerator, who ran along the rail in the middle of the pack through the first half of the 1-1/4 mile race, made a gallant charge down the stretch and closed within a length but could not overhaul the favorite.
The other unbeaten Derby winners are Majestic Prince (1969), Morvich (1922) and Regret (1915).
“He’s just such a special horse”, O’Neill said.
HollywoodLifers, were you happy to see Mario win the Kentucky Derby 2016?
The Triple Crown had not become obsolete; it did not need to be tinkered with just to make a sweep of the spring classics a more reasonable and accessible goal for today’s thoroughbreds. He loved his rapidly-improving 3-year-old colt, Exaggerator, but knew everyone might be running for second place if Nyquist was on his game. Well, lose. So, yeah, he’s a Triple Crown threat. You felt like you were going to the gym with Kobe Bryant.
And for the immediate future of Nyquist, who pushed his earnings to $4,954,200 with the Derby score, up next is a walk of the shedrow May 8 and a trip to Baltimore May 9.
Said a beaming Mario Gutierrez: “Pretty unbelievable, pretty awesome”. I thought I had it for a minute.
“He’s got ice in his veins”, he said of the jockey.
Nyquist had something in reserve on his way to claiming the Kentucky Derby, jockey Mario Gutierrez said after riding the colt to victory at Churchill Downs on Saturday.
The next step for Destin is the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes, the two remaining legs of the triple crown.
Bob Baffert, who trained 2015 Triple Crown victor American Pharoah, was trying to win his fifth Kentucky Derby with Mor Spirit, ridden by Gary Stevens, who came in with three Kentucky Derby-winning mounts. “And I said for someone to buy two winning Lotto tickets in one lifetime, I don’t think that’s ever happened”. His final time for the 1 1/4 miles was 2:01.31.
Like O’Neill, Reddam liked the way Nyquist performed despite being the favorite. “I’m glad I’ll Have Another wasn’t the [Derby] favorite, ” he said. Danzing Candy was going very fast – too fast, actually. This horse, he’s really something.
“We’re just all lucky to be part of it”.
The doubting of Nyquist’s superhorse candidacy ended late Saturday afternoon at Churchill Downs.
The main story line heading into Saturday’s Kentucky Derby was that there wasn’t a horse like Triple Crown victor American Pharoah in the field. Those four, however, produced just one Triple Crown victor.
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“At this stage of his career”, Moss said, “Nyquist has accomplished more than American Pharoah had”.
