The Kentucky Derby victor departed Churchill Downs for Pimlico in Baltimore on Monday to prepare for the Preakness Stakes set for May 21.
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Watched by a crowd of more than 167,000, the three-year-old colt and heavy pre-race favourite, Nyquist, outran 19 others to claim the 142nd staging of the Kentucky Derby at Chuchill Downs over the weekend. They were the team behind 2012 Derby and Preakness victor I’ll Have Another, who was scratched on the eve of the Belmont with a tendon injury that denied him a shot at the Triple Crown.
When it comes to selecting a stall for his Kentucky Derby victor at Pimlico Race Course, trainer Doug O’Neill doesn’t care much for tradition. Yet Bovada.lv gave Nyquist -140 odds to claim the Preakness and +120 odds for the Belmont.
“There’s no way you can feel nervous”, O’Neill said.
“He is full of himself this morning and it is like he never even ran”, said Sisterson Monday morning. “We’re just fortunate to be around him”. “This is definitely the best horse I’ve ever been around”.
“I thought I had it for a minute”, said Florent Geroux, aboard Gun Runner.
American Pharoah became racing’s first Triple Crown champion in 37 years.
“He’ll walk the next couple days and then get back to the track jogging like we’ve done his whole career”, Sisterson said.
So the favorite Nyquist wins the Run for the Roses, as trainer Doug O’Neill celebrates in the stands.
Nyquist emerged from his wide draw in gate 13 with clear daylight ahead of him after expected front-runner Danzig Candy broke poorly outside and had to be rushed up to take his position on the front end.
There have been 12 Triple Crown winners, most recently a year ago by American Pharaoh, who ended a Triple Crown drought stretching back to 1978.
Nyquist is following a schedule similar to I’ll Have Another, who also spent the two weeks leading up to the Preakness at Pimlico.
“We’ve had Swipe and Exaggerator run against him, and I think we’ve been second to him seven or eight times. When you’re fast and you stay out of trouble in a 20-horse field, that’s a big edge”, Baffert said. Eastern from Pimlico. That will be followed by the Belmont Stakes. Nyquist started in only two prep races, and he often jogged or galloped when his rivals were turning in hard workouts. “If someone’s coming late, he can win by five lengths or he can win by a nose”. “If I were him, I would want a rematch too”.
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After Danzing Candy dropped back in the later stages, Gun Runner took over the lead but at the top of the stretch, Nyquist blew past the colt and opened up a wide lead heading for the finish.
