Nyquist amply lived up to his favorite’s billing, winning the 142nd Kentucky Derby on Saturday, May 7 (Sunday Manila time) to become the eighth unbeaten horse to capture the first jewel of United States racing’s Triple Crown.
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Nyquist’s odds to win the Belmont Stakes on June 11 of this year are stacked against the colt. But the Santa Anita Derby runner-up was never in contention and finished 10th under jockey Gary Stevens. No one could remember the last time four consecutive favorites had won the Kentucky Derby.
In a year of can-you-top-a-Triple-Crown victor, Nyquist has already done so financially. “We expect another record Adjusted EBITDA and estimated growth of $4.5-to-$6.0 million over last year’s Kentucky Derby week”.
O’Neill admitted the task wasn’t easy considering the talented field of contenders but was confident Nyquist would succeed amid the hype.
“You put him in company, and he’s a Ferrari”, O’Neill said.
Give Exaggerator a lot of credit for finishing as the runner-up. “What a ride, what a wide”.
Breaking from the No. 13 post position, Nyquist was forwardly placed throughout the race but sat off three lengths behind Danzing Candy, who set unsustainably fast fractions of 22.58 for the first quarter and 45.72 for a half-mile. He’s the first undefeated Derby champion since Big Brown in 2008. Only eight horses in the history of the 142-year event have entered and exited the Run for the Roses with an unblemished record.
“He’s just a remarkable athlete”, trainer Doug O’Neill said.
Not bad for a horse that, in the eyes of many pundits, left something to be desired just a day ago. “He knows how to bring his A game”. Nyquist is a quality runner and when he shows up at Pimlico Race Course in two weeks for the Preakness, he’ll only have to run 1 3/16 miles, a sixteenth less than the Derby and certainly against fewer rivals.
It is his connection with Reddam and O’Neill that allowed Gutierrez to get his riding mojo back in 2015.
If there was a bit of a hangover feeling around Churchill Downs, if the buzz perhaps was lacking despite having an unbeaten 2-year-year old champion on the grounds vying for the Kentucky Derby, Nyquist took care of all that in two scintillating minutes on the historic Louisville track. I don’t believe I have the right words to describe it.
Dennis O’Neill, Doug’s brother, found the horse for Reddam at a purchase price of $400,000. “None of these 3-year-olds had run a mile and a quarter, so why bet a 2-1 shot when there are 10- and 15-1 (shots)”, O’Neill said. “We know when the race is slow; we know when it is fast”.
“We don’t even know how good this horse really is yet”, Reddam said.
“We are still evaluating what happened as part of working to provide a better customer experience in the future”, Hindman said in an e-mailed response to questions after the Churchill card had concluded.
Reddam said the chemistry between owner, trainer and jockey have played a role in the string of victories by Nyquist.
O’Neill said he’s never had a better one, including I’ll Have Another.
Except the horse’s favorite status always seemed to come with a good dose of skepticism.
Known for digging in his hooves – and kicking – when he doesn’t want to do something, the Japan-based gray colt frequently showed his mule side while being led from his barn to the paddock and starting gate at Churchill Downs. “He started pricking his ears back and forth at the top of the stretch”.
He acknowledged the Preakness will be a tenser race as the weight of the history Nyquist could make begins to press closer.
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Florent Geroux, Gun Runner’s jockey, said after the race he thought for a moment he would beat Nyquist.
