The horse is undefeated in his eight-race career, and will look to extend the streak at the Preakness, the second leg of the Triple Crown. Nyquist is trained by Doug O’Neill and ridden by Mario Gutierrez, who won the 2012 Derby-Preakness with I’ll Have Another.
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Although Mario Gutierrez couldn’t hear the raucous cheers from the thousands of people in Vancouver who watched him cross the finish line to take his second Kentucky Derby title in as many tries, he was warmed by the positive vibes coming from 3,200 kilometres away.
Ten horses, including Derby runner-up Exaggerator, are now considered probable for the May 21 Preakness at Baltimore’s Pimlico.
Sisterson said Nyquist will follow much of the same routine as I’ll Have Another in his successful Preakness bid, and that included a flight to Maryland after one day of rest following the Derby.
In an email to customers, TVG CEO Kip Levin said his company had no excuses for a system crash just before the annual race at Churchill Downs. “We’re just fortunate to be around him”.
Exaggerator’s trainer Keith Desormeaux says he was looking forward to having another crack at Nyquist at the Preakness. A bet at Bovada now for Nyquist winning the Triple Crown is a +250 wager, with “No” the favorite at -400.
The horse’s resume included a championship at age 2, victories at four different tracks in the East and West and an ability to overcome all sorts of obstacles in his races.
The best horse won Saturday.
“Oh no, no, that wasn’t me”, O’Neill said with a smirk.
In a more serious tone, Reddam said Exaggerator “ran great” in Saturday’s race.
The Detroit Red Wings have enjoyed plenty of National Hockey League success with Gustav Nyquist as a member of the roster.
Nyquist, this year’s favorite at 2-1 odds, drew Gate 13, the same position he started from before winning last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.
Assistant Trainer Jack Sisterson describes what the waiting game will be like for team Nyquist. “When you’re fast and you stay out of trouble in a 20-horse field, that’s a big edge”, Baffert said.
Nyquist has given them a second shot at the Triple Crown. “I know he’ll have something to respond”.
After the race trainer Mark Casse underlined that last year’s Eclipse Award victor is nearly certain to ship for the royal meeting in June, especially with doubts surrounding the participation in the Queen Anne Stakes of defending champion Solow.
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Again, he was unafraid to take an approach that mystified many of his peers, preparing Nyquist for the Derby at Keeneland instead of at Churchill Downs.
