“I think both horses are going to run their races”.
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On speed figures, Nyquist does not stand out. Some believe they are nothing but empty numbers.
Nyquist’s owners Paul and Zillah Reddam, trainer Doug O’Neill and jockey Mario Guttierrez have their sights set on the winner’s circle at the famed 1¼ mile track.
Useful or useless, the Beyers provide one way to compare horses.
“I wouldn’t mind that at all”, said the 47-year-old O’Neill. He was talking about his first of four Kentucky Derby winners – Silver Charm – and that lead to his fourth – American Pharoah, who won the Triple Crown last spring.
#15 Outwork – Only loss of career came in G2 Tampa Bay Derby but bounced back to take the prestigious Wood Memorial in New York. He’s expecting a much bigger crowd than previous year.
However, with the memories of American Pharoah so fresh on everyone’s minds, a bit of skepticism heading into this year’s Derby could be excused.
It wasn’t just Pharoah. He lost to Danzing Candy in the Grade II San Felipe Stakes in March, then finished ahead of Danzing Candy but suffered defeat to Exaggerator at the Grade I Santa Anita Derby in April.
“To this point none of these horses has run more than a mile in a race”, Cameron said.
So why is the feeling around the Churchill Downs’ barn area more subdued than overjoyed?
What does this mean for those of us planning on visiting the betting window Saturday? Others, like 10-year-old Ben’s Cat who won a race on Sunday at Laurel Park, are the exception.
Japanese runner Lani has been creating quite a stir on the training track, with connections admitting the UAE Derby victor is far from straightforward as he tries to post a first success for his nation in the Classic. This year’s entries yet to earn a 95: Gun Runner, Suddenbreakingnews, Whitmore, Oscar Nominated, Shagaf, Tom’s Ready, Majesto, Trojan Nation, Mo Tom and, yes, the Romans-trained Brody’s Cause.
There are a lot of similar horses that could pick up the pieces at a big price somewhere in the exotics, so don’t be afraid to spend a couple bucks on a couple of horses in an exacta, trifecta or superfecta that are huge long shots.
The other intangible, at least for those who follow horse racing closely, might be the fact that Team Nyquist went through the Triple Crown crucible in 2012 with I’ll Have Another and didn’t exactly come out of it as darlings of the sport. But, for handicapping purposes, I will go with the horses that looked the best to me on paper and on video. “I don’t need somebody doing a mathematical formula telling me he ran well”.
The big field makes for even more variables, but O’Neill believes Nyquist, the early 3-1 favorite, is versatile enough to cope with whatever comes up.
Nyquist, the unbeaten 3-1 morning-line favorite drew post 13, just one spot from the end of the main gate.
It is one of the biggest sporting events of the year for attracting private jet traffic, according to Brad Stewart, CEO of XOJET, in the tier of four or five events just behind the Super Bowl. I don’t think the pace will be fast, which will create problems for the legion of closers.
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Bob Baffert feels under the radar with his latest horse at the Kentucky Derby.
