Exaggerator pulled away from Nyquist down the stretch to win the Preakness States, dashing the previously undefeated Kentucky Derby winner’s bid for the triple crown. Desormeaux saw an opening around the final turn, angled outside and Exaggerator took over.
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Near the end of a cold, gray, rain-filled day at Pimlico Race Course, in the 141st running of the Preakness Stakes, Exaggerator finally caught Nyquist.
Exaggerator’s trainer Keith Desormeaux said just before the race that Exaggerator loves the mud and the conditions worked out. “It was an wonderful race and Exaggerator is an unbelievable horse”.
It was the first time in five head-to-head matchups that Exaggerator had defeated Nyquist.
Nyquist, who had led nearly from the start, tied up towards the line, eventually finishing third behind Cherry Wine.
“I didn’t really think he would get beat”, O’Neill said after his horse’s first defeat in nine career races. “I know we’re up a couple million, handle-wise”. “Nyquist is still a great horse”. He still ran a great race. The organization followed up by saying that its research has shown “most breakdowns and deaths occur because horses have pre-existing injuries masked by excessive use of medications”.
“We are proud to once again earn the highest of marks in safety and integrity in the alliance’s accreditation”, Maryland Jockey Club President Sal Sinatra said.
In the day’s fourth race, four-year-old filly Pramedya collapsed on the turf and suffered a broken leg. She was euthanized on the track.
The colt faces the top of the division for the first time. “We swung out late, but they were tough”.
Despite the dreary weather, racetrack officials said a record crowd of 135,256 attended the races and the infield concert that included sets by Fetty Wap and the Chainsmokers. News stories displayed here appear in our category for General and are licensed via a specific agreement between LongIsland.com and The Associated Press, the world’s oldest and largest news organization.
Baffert was asked if it was weird returning to Pimlico one year removed from the Triple Crown. As they turned into the stretch a exhausted Nyquist briefly held the lead but yielded it to Exaggerator with less than a quarter mile to run.
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“It wasn’t like we felt we could grind him down”, Keith said. He’s got a lot of early speed, so if the race collapses behind him and no one closes, then there is a sliver of a chance he can win.
