The horse will be taken to New Bolton Center in Pennsylvania for an autopsy.
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O’Neill is hopeful that Nyquist will prevail at Pimlico today and have the opportunity to follow 2015 Triple Crown champion American Pharoah into the history books in the Belmont Stakes. The big race is scheduled for May 21st.
Here is the schedule and post positions for the 141st Preakness Stakes.
The winning horse’s connections will receive $900,000 of the $1.5 million Preakness purse to be distributed between themselves. However, because they don’t bloom until June, daisies and paint are used to recreate the appearance of Black-Eyed Susans on the flower blanket that will be draped across the winning horse.
Nyquist has won five Grade 1 races over five different racetracks while demonstrating the ability to set the pace or race off the pace for Reddam Racing LLC, O’Neill and jockey Mario Gutierrez, the same connections of 2012 Kentucky Derby and Preakness victor I’ll Have Another. Forecasts are calling for a 90 percent chance of rain Saturday in Baltimore, but O’Neill said he’s not anxious about his horse. Temperatures will be in the mid-50s with wind gusts up to 20 miles per hour.
Post time for the Preakness is 6:45 p.m. Saturday. But as far as rain or shine, we’re not going to change anything shoeing wise.
“I think we’re going to leave there running and just kind of play it by ear”, O’Neill said (via Forbes).
“I’ll be one of the few people here doing a rain dance”, said Romans, who trained Shackleford to a win in the Preakness in 2011. Nyquist already has excelled on a wet track – in an impressive Florida Derby victory romp in the slop.
After a 37-year Triple Crown drought, horse racing fans are giddy over the possibility of back-to-back sweeps. We’re hoping Nyquist becomes our third consecutive Preakness victor and 11th in the last 16 years.
Nyquist is an early prohibitive 3-to-5 favorite to make it nine victories in nine starts in the mile-and-three-16ths Preakness at venerable Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore.
Four years ago the two teamed up along with owner J. Paul Reddam and won the Derby and Preakness with I’ll Have Another.
“I think Nyquist is a very special horse”, said trainer John Shirreffs, who won the 2005 Derby with 50-1 long shot Giacomo.
Asked what would be an ideal trip for Nyquist, O’Neill didn’t hesitate: “We break great, have the lead and go really easy around there”.
Jockey Mario Gutierrez has been aboard Nyquist when the colt began racing last June.
O’Neill said trainers will pull Nyquist’s feed bag about eight hours before the Preakness, then his water about two hours later as final preparation for the race.
Exaggerator, who was the 9-5 second choice, jumped to 9-2.
Exaggerator trainer Keith Desormeaux doesn’t underestimate Nyquist’s ability. It’s unlikely, as he has captured five Grade One races at five different tracks. “I’d prefer to have my picture taken in the sun”. The flighty gray colt arrived at Pimlico on Thursday.
He has run three times on “off-tracks” in Japan, with a win, a second and a fifth. Vibes are good. The champ is primed to race again. Lani. Horses coming out of the Derby are most likely to finish in the money.
Laoban, Fellowship, Abiding Star and Lani are all also sharing the long shot curse with similar insane odds.
Dale Romans, who is coming off of a serious auto accident the night of the Derby, will saddle Cherry Wine from the inside gate at 21-1. “I said, ‘This isn’t a good spot.’ It’s not like I found this little, cozy allowance race”.
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The race is loaded with early speed who figure to set up a speed duel, which means they all run so fast so early that they tire each other out.
