“I’m proud of my horse, proud of the jockey. What’s it mean to come back here with your brother and do this over this race track?” Exaggerator stuck to the rail while Nyquist veered out, and Exaggerator took advantage of an opening in the final turn, charging into the stretch to win the 141st Preakness Stakes by three and a half lengths.
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Nyquist is one of them, along with Abiding Star, Awesome Speed, Collected, Laoban and Uncle Lino. Officials said he broke his right collarbone.
Uncle Lino was not about to let Nyquist relax out in the front by himself, and he pushed Nyquist all the way to the turn for home when he momentarily stuck his head in front.
Nyquist had won an emphatic victory in the first race in the series, the 142nd Kentucky Derby.
“It’s Mother Nature”, O’Neill said.
“I personally never had a doubt that I’d get here”, he said. We’ll kind of figure this all out, watch some replays. “When Kent really asked him to run”, said the trainer, “he had plenty left”.
Exaggerator had faced Nyquist four times before the Preakness, and been beaten on each occasion. He’s still a victor in our book. They’re not machines. Being 8-for-8, we kept thinking that this horse is never going to lose, but they all lose any one time or another.
“I had a dream trip”, he said. I think Mario did a wonderful job with that. The heavily favored Nyquist, who many thought would cruise at Pimlico before heading to Belmont to run for the Triple Crown, rounded out the top three. Thank you to the whole team Nyquist. For a moment it looked like the two would duel to the wire, but the fast early pace did in Nyquist, who faded to third, ending his winning streak at eight. She was euthanized on the track.
The day got off to a somber start when two horses died and a jockey was injured early in the undercard.
But the critical difference between Exaggerator and Nyquist was their riders.
Nyquist trainer George O’Neill was gracious in defeat. The pair have been rivals all season, with Nyquist beating Exaggerator in all four of their previous match-ups. Exaggerator’s connections will pull down an estimated $900,000 of the purse.
“I hope it’s not only because of the muddy track”, said trainer Keith Desormeaux, Kent’s older brother, who referred to the track conditions by the rail as “a quagmire” by Saturday evening. Exaggerator also has a Preakness pedigree – he was sired by Preakness victor Curlin. The next best thing to a Triple Crown attempt is a race between the two horses that won the Derby and Preakness.
Desormeaux’s mounted interview after the race was fantastic.
Gutierrez gave no excuses for his ride aboard Nyquist. Gutierrez was unavailable for comment immediately after the race, but today’s loss capped a rough weekend for the young jockey.
The toilets leak and the infield party for the Preakness Stakes is for the bravest of hearts.
Baffert knows he’ll need good fortune on Saturday to spring a Preakness upset.
Exaggerator was behind so far early, announcer Larry Collmus got nervous.
2001: Monarchos won the second-fastest running of the Kentucky Derby while favored Point Given was fifth.
Nine-year-old Homeboykris, an entry in the Kentucky Derby in 2010, collapsed after winning the first race of the day at the track in Baltimore, Maryland, noted the Washington Post.
I played Nyquist on top in nearly all of my bets (more on that later) and it was a, shall we say, interesting tactical race ridden by jockey Mario Gutierrez.
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Baffert has six Preakness wins, tying D. Wayne Lukas for second on the all-time list.
