“He’s just such a special horse”, O’Neill said of Nyquist. The victor covered 1 1/4 miles over a fast track in 2:01:31 to maintain a ideal record in eight career starts. He will seek to make it nine a row in the 1/16-mile Preakness on May 21.
Advertisement
Nyquist is undefeated, and his time was 201.3 seconds. In a five-year period, Dennis O’Neill has purchased two Kentucky Derby winners at public auction, in addition to other good race horses. I’ll Have Another won the Derby and Preakness in 2012, but was retired the day before the Belmont with a leg injury.
“You feed off your trainer”, Reddam said. “We see it in his eyes on a daily business”.
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.
He did it the way a legitimately talented horse does it, stalking a thunderous early pace, overtaking exhausted front-runners and holding off surging closers.
Still, Nyquist isn’t the buzziest of horses.
“He is full of himself this morning and it is like he never even ran”, said Sisterson Monday morning. “With this guy, winning his first time out and winning his second time out, I just got a feel for him”.
He rarely does more than he needs to and nothing dazzling and tends to drift out in the stretch. He ran 11⁄4 miles over a fast track holding moisture from a brief downpour earlier in the afternoon in 2:01.31, the 13th fastest in Derby history that compares favorable to American Pharoah’s running time of 2:03.02 over a wet, fast track.
“A lot of people said the horse couldn’t go a mile and a quarter”, said Paul Reddam, the colt’s owner.
“He does it workmanlike, but he does it fast”. “He has to stay healthy, but he is a great horse”.
After shipping I’ll Have Another to Baltimore early in 2012, the horse did not go into Stall 40, the corner spot traditionally reserved for the Derby champion.
Exaggerator, who ran along the rail in the middle of the pack through the first half of the 1-1/4 mile race, made a gallant charge down the stretch and closed within a length but could not overhaul the favorite.
Undefeated colt Nyquist headed to Churchill Downs as a heavy favorite, and looking to continue an undefeated start to his career.
Gutierrez eased Nyquist back to let speedster Danzing Candy take the lead going into the chaotic first turn. Gutierrez stated the win was an unbelievable feeling as Nyquist needs only needs a horse to push him.
Nyquist quickly overtook Gun Runner once they were pointed toward the finish line. Gun Runner was only in front briefly before Nyquist showed a strong finishing kick.
Dale Romans, the trainer of seventh-place Derby finisher Brody’s Cause, says he’s resting at home with some bruised ribs after being involved in a auto accident after Saturday’s race.
Advertisement
Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid’s Mohaymen could not contain Gunner Runner in the race for third, while UAE Derby victor Lani was ninth for Japan.
