The 142 running of the Kentucky Derby this past Saturday at Churchill Downs saw Nyquist, the heavy favorite of the race, earning the win.
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The next leg of the Triple Crown, swept for the first time in 37 years last season by American Pharoah, is the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico in Baltimore on May 21.
After the Breeders’ Cup, those associated with Nyquist had a meeting and chose to have a sprint comeback to start the year following a break, then go to the Florida Derby, in which Nyquist was eligible for a $1 million bonus.
“It was an unbelievable feeling”.
Owned by Paul Reddam of Windsor, who also owned 2012 Derby victor I’ll Have Another, Nyquist was the 2-1 post-time favourite Saturday at Churchill Downs. They were the team behind 2012 Derby and Preakness victor I’ll Have Another, who was scratched on the eve of the Belmont with a tendon injury that denied him a shot at the Triple Crown.
Nyquist is the third California-bred horse in a row to take the roses at the Derby. “You can see it in his eye on a daily basis. If he was a human athlete, we’d celebrate him as a superstar”. That’s the fastest Derby time since New York-bred Funny Cide ran it in 2:01.19 in 2003.
It was a redemptive afternoon for so many associated with Nyquist, from Uncle Mo to O’Neill and Reddam getting another opportunity after I’ll Have Another’s unfortunate injury before the 2012 Belmont. Mario famously rode I’ll Have Another when he won the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness in 2012, so he’s been here before.
A crowd of 167,227 saw the race under sunny skies. Nyquist, however, passed Danzing Candy and Gun Runner on the turn into the homestretch and asserted his superiority through the stretch.
“There was no wild, drunken party”, said Steve Rothblum, manager for Reddam Racing.
“This horse is really something”.
“I kind of give him time to rest because he puts so much into it”, O’Neill said.
Nyquist, undefeated in eight starts, grabbed the lead down the homestretch and held off Exaggerator in the 142nd running of the Derby. “But when he got to the far turn, I thought, ‘I like this'”. “I can’t respect that horse enough”.
“I was very optimistic coming over here (from the barns)”. I felt like he was uncomfortable the entire race. I’ve never seen any other horse like him.
“He’s just such a special horse”, O’Neill said of Nyquist. “They need to get a break, and Mario got a break and away he went”. “What a ride, what a ride”.
Prior to the Derby, Nyquist had his final workout at Keeneland eight days from the race on April 29, going a mile.
Reddam named Nyquist for Gustav Nyquist, a forward on the Detroit Red Wings, a National Hockey League team Reddam has been a fan of since he grew up just across the river from Detroit in Windsor, Ontario. That being said, you just have to blessed and have a clean trip.
Exaggerator, the Santa Anita Derby victor, showed he didn’t need a sloppy track (which his past two wins came on). He was scratched the day before with a stomach illness.
Uncle Mo’s first foal crop is now a strong group of 3-year-olds.
“Congratulations to Nyquist. He’s still undefeated”, said Kiaran McLaughlin, who trains Mohaymen. “I don’t know about the Triple Crown but he’ll have a great year”. Exaggerator placed second, a furious finish unable to close the gap.
Dazzling Gem captured his first two career starts at Oaklawn this year before finishing third behind Gun Runner in the Louisiana Derby (G2) at Fair Grounds and fourth behind Creator in the Arkansas Derby (G1). He moved from 100th in jockey earnings in 2014 ($2.7 million) to 29th past year ($6.3 million).
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O’Neill said Nyquist “hasn’t had a lot of long gallops, hasn’t had a lot of speed work”. “Then it just didn’t happen from there”. The sport has had only one pair of back-to-back Triple Crown winners, Seattle Slew in 1977 and Affirmed in 1978. “I think he proved all the critics wrong today”. “I’m confident because Doug has confidence”. O’Neill would love to have another Triple Crown opportunity. That resulted in a horse that was fresh and ready for a top performance Saturday. “So proud of team O’Neill, and many congrats to my friends the Reddams”.
